


a numbness, a cold wind, and then nothing.

by trappedoutside124



Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: Angst, Angst with a Happy Ending, Avengers: Infinity War Part 1 (Movie) Spoilers, Fluff, Hurt/Comfort, Magic, Post-Avengers: Infinity War Part 1 (Movie), Soul Stone (Marvel)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-07-26
Updated: 2018-12-28
Packaged: 2019-06-16 13:40:38
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 11
Words: 43,332
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15438240
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/trappedoutside124/pseuds/trappedoutside124
Summary: When Stephen Strange wakes up, he's in surgery with Christine, his hands steady and strong. Or is he?Based on the idea that those snapped out of existence are trapped in the soul stone living in their own utopias. To assemble the fallen heroes and be able to beat Thanos from the inside, Strange must find all of the others and convince them that the utopias are a fraud and wake them up from their dreams--even if they want so desperately to remain in them.





	1. Chapter 1

A numbness, a cold wind, and then nothing. 

Those are the last things Stephen Strange felt before his world went dark. 

The last thing he saw was the orange sky framed behind a stricken Tony Stark, panic filling his eyes. 

"It was the only way," Stephen said, trying desperately in his last moments to convey the reasoning behind giving Thanos the time stone and helping him complete his plan. This was part of the only timeline where they won; this was a necessary evil. 

Of course, Stephen knew that Tony got none of that from his plea. 

A numbness, a cold wind, and then nothing. 

A ringing in his ears woke Stephen up. That, and the sound of someone calling his name. "Doctor Strange? Are you alright?" His eyes opened to a bright white light in his face. 

"What?" he said, instinctively holding his hand up to cover his eyes. It was then he noticed that his hand had a plastic glove covering it. He looked down to find himself in blue scrubs. Upon further observation, he realized he was in an operating room. A patient lay knocked out on the table before him, a plastic sheet covering his face and his chest cavity already opened. A dozen nurses stared back at him, eagerly awaiting his next move. The room smelled like antiseptic and plastic; it smelled like home. 

"Stephen?" someone said from behind him, "are you okay?" Turning around, he saw Christine in matching scrubs looking at him with worried eyes. "Can you continue with the surgery?"

Surgery, right. That's what he was doing here. That's what he was meant to be doing. It was what he was good at. 

"Of course," he replied. He picked up a scalpel next to him and went to work on the patient, diligently poking and prodding, sewing and stitching, picking the man apart and putting him back together again. He felt a rush of euphoria as he always did, adrenaline pumping through his veins. This was what Stephen was meant to do; he could spend eternity performing surgery and be happy forever. However, something was off. Something was gnawing at his mind, distracting him from his work. Wasn't there somewhere he had to be? Somewhere behind him, a clock was ticking urgently and breaking his concentration.

"What time is it?" Strange asked, the lights overhead bright in his eyes when he looked up. The nurses at him cocked their heads. "Why, Doctor? Is there somewhere you need to be?" Christine laughed at him, a twinkling, beautiful sound. 

"Always so obsessed with time, doctor. What's wrong?" 

"I-I don't know," Stephen replied, shaking his head slightly. The itch in his brain was getting harder to ignore, and the ticking was getting louder. "I need water." Jolting away from the operating table, Strange walked to the sink in the corner of the room. He pulled off his gloves, picking up a plastic cup. The ticking noise kept pace with Stephen's pulsing heart. He filled up the cup with water, his hands steady as he brought it to his mouth. 

He downed it in one gulp, then looked in the mirror in front of him. "What the--" Stephen jolted backwards as his reflection stared back at him. The him in the mirror had long hair and a manicured beard. His reflection was adorned in a dark fitted top and a red cape billowing behind him. "What the hell is going on," Stephen yelled. His reflection stared back at him, steady and unwavering. "You're out of time," it said, it's tone urgent. 

"Calm down, Stephen. Everything is fine," Christine said calmly, appearing behind him. "After this, you and I will get some dinner. Doesn't that sound great?" As she spoke, the ticking began to dull down. His heart rate slowed. 

"Y-yes, that does. Sorry, I don't know what came over me," he stuttered as Christine took him by the hands. She brought one to her lips and kissed it. 

"I love you, Stephen Strange. Isn't that enough?" 

Stephen was about to reply when he realized something was wrong with his hands. His usually steady, strong hands were covered in black stitches. They began to shake uncontrollably, something deadly to a surgeon's career. The ticking noise started up again, this time even louder than before. 

Something was wrong. He had to get out. There was somewhere he needed to be. 

He rushed to the operating table with a sudden need to see who he was operating on. The nurses grabbed at him in slow motion; it was like he was moving threw molasses. Whatever was ticking was now at full volume; it was all he could hear. "Stephen!" Christine yelled, her voice sounding as if it was miles away. 

He pulled back the sheet that covered the patients head. To his horror, it was himself--or the himself he saw in the mirror. Stephen yelled and tried to back away when the man's--or, his--hand grabbed his arm and his eyes shot open, connecting with his. 

"Wake up, Stephen," his doppelganger said. "You're almost out of time." 

"Time?" Strange stuttered. 

"Don't you hear the clock?" Sure enough, the clock was ticking louder and louder. Stephen realized he was now alone in the operating room.

"Wake up, Stephen. WAKE UP!" the doppelganger yelled at him. A bright green light clouded his vision. 

And then he did. 

Everything came flooding back to him in a rush. The numbness, the cold wind, the nothingness. The room around him began to change, swirling into a mass of colors that forced him to close his eyes. When he opened them again, there was only silence and a world of orange. He was ankle deep in water that seemed to stretch out for miles. He clutched at his heart, struggling for air. 

Forcing himself to calm down, he realized where he was. "The Soul World. I'm in the soul stone," he said to himself, thinking out loud. Harkening back to his studies of the infinity stones, Strange recalled what he read about the soul stone in particular. When used against someone, it transported their soul to an ideal world for them, their own kind of heaven. They were trapped in their own sort of utopia, a version of life too incredible to be true. So incredible, in fact, that the person never wanted to leave and go back to reality; in this way, the soul stone trapped its victims souls' forever. 

Strange, being a master of the Mystic Arts however, broke the spell. And now he could act independently inside the gauntlet. 

Now, he could try and defeat Thanos from within while Tony and the others worked outside. First, however, he had to find those he had disappeared with. Specifically, he had to find the girl with the auburn hair. The witch who he saw in his vision; the one who could control an infinity stone like he could. Red tendrils of magic flowed around her whenever Stephen looked into the future. He didn't know her name, but he did know that she was integral to the story. 

After that, he had to find the God of mischief himself: Loki. If everything had gone according to plan, he was here too with a portal and a way out. 

Looking down, he found that his sling ring hadn't been transported with him, and neither had his cloak. Without those, he had no way of finding the woman or the god. That is, until he felt a tap on his back. Whipping around, he found a little girl looking up at him. Her skin was green and her hair was a mixture of coal black and beet red. She was wearing orange sparring clothes, something that seemed startling for a girl of her age to wear. 

"I know where they are," she told him steadily, her voice echoing. 

"How?" Strange replied. The girl shrugged. 

"I know everything about this place. And I know that you need them to reverse what he did. I was the original sacrifice."

It dawned on Strange who she was. "You're Gamora. You're a friend of the guardians. You're the sacrifice Thanos made in order to receive the stone." The young girl nodded back at him, her eyes filled with a mix of nostalgia and sadness. She wiped a tear before tugging on his sleeve again. 

"Let's go, you have to hurry. You're our only hope." 

Stephen nodded and took Gamora's hand. She led him further deeper into the orange expanse, further towards the next piece of the puzzle.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Strange finds Loki, and then the pair wake up Wanda.

Stephen Strange walked with Gamora for what seemed like miles. There was water as far as the eye could see and no one else in sight. There was no sound as they walked; the water didn't even splash. Strange would occasionally shoot looks at the little girl leading him. He was confused; when he looked into the future using the time stone, he saw didn't see her with them. He wondered if her presence in here would affect his plan; the group had one shot at getting this right and they couldn't afford to mess it up. If even one thing went awry--inside the gauntlet or outside in the real world--it could end in a catastrophe. He prayed that Tony was acting according to the timeline revealed to him by the time stone. 

Finally, Strange spotted a figure in the distance. He breathed a sigh of relief. "It's her," he said thankfully. 

"Not quite," Gamora responded with a shrug. Strange squinted his eyes at the figure. Slowly, the person came into view: instead of long red hair, this person had shoulder-length raven locks. They were adorned in a black and green combat suit and they were pacing back and forth, their hands grasped behind them tightly. The person stopped as the pair came closer as if they sensed them. 

It was Loki. 

"So, he made it," Strange said to himself under his breath. He turned to Gamora. "Is he in a dream?" 

"No, he's not. Not anymore, at least," she replied. Strange straightened up as they neared the god. 

"Loki. You're here." 

The god of mischief tensed up at his voice before slowly turning around to face him. His face was stoic, but his eyes gleamed with rage. "Finally, the wizard has arrived," Loki growled. He stalked closer to them, his calm facade wavering. "You came to me in a dream, telling me to perform this fantastical maneuver and when I do, you are nowhere to be found in this hellish landscape." 

Strange put his hands up. "You did good, just as I knew you would. And I'm here now, along with half of the universe." Loki stopped in his tracks, his face falling. 

"So, the Titan won." 

"For now, yes," Strange replied. Loki raised an eyebrow mischievously. 

"You have a plan?"

"Of course I do. But first, we have to find the witch." 

With a growl, Loki turned back around and thew his hands in the air in exasperation. "I've been here for what seems like eons and I have seen not one other person. How are we supposed to find her?" 

Strange put a hand to his temple in frustration. "Loki," he began, his patience wearing thin, "You portaled in here with your magic like I instructed you, yes?" 

Loki nodded. 

"Then I assume you can portal us to her?" 

Loki stared at the man, dumbfounded. Then he sniffed, tossing his hair over his shoulder. 

"I guess I could," 

Strange rubbed his hands together. "Great, then let's--"

"Not so fast," Gamora said, cutting him off, "Magic is different here. It'll take more than just him to make a portal. You'll need her help too."

Strange sighed as Loki groaned. "Fine, we'll walk. Lead us to her." With that, the three of them started off towards where (presumably) the witch was in the stone. At first, the three walked in tense silence. Then, Strange cleared his throat. 

"So, how'd you get out of your dream?" he asked Loki while looking straight ahead. He was met with a thick silence. 

Strange tried again: "You were in a dream, correct? A utopia of sorts that everyone--" 

"I was in one, yes. But I got myself out of it." Loki replied harshly. He paused before speaking again. "I am the god of mischief and chaos. I am the champion of illusions. I have convinced my own brother that I was dead twice now. I think I can get myself out of a petty illusion some stone created for me. Besides, I know better by now." 

"Know what?" 

Loki didn't answer again. When Strange looked at him, the god was looking down and his face was melancholy. "I know better than to believe in a 'perfect' life. Life has not treated me kindly; it never will." 

Now, the silence was somber. 

"If you don't mind me asking, what did you see?" Strange asked quietly, trying to fill the void with noise. Loki straightened up and stared ahead. 

"I saw myself ruling Asgard by my brother's side. My mother and father were there, and they were proud of me. Instead of fearing me, the people loved me." Loki scoffed and shook his head. "Too good to be true." 

Strange was unsure if he should comfort the man or let the conversation fade back into the silence. Thankfully, he didn't have to choose. Gamora spoke first, stopping the men. "We're here," she said, pointing in front of them. "There she is."

Sure enough, the girl with the red hair was standing in front of them. Her eyes were glazed over in white and there was a dreamy mist surrounding her body. Her arms were limp at her sides, and there was a smile etched onto her face. She looked peaceful. 

"You'll have to enter her dream to be able to wake her up," Gamora instructed, stepping out of their way. With a nod, Strange stepped into the mist, Loki following close behind. 

When they entered the grey mist, they found it was thicker than they expected. The water below them began to feel like sticky mud. Slowly, however, it got harder and easier to walk on. Looking down, Strange saw that he was stepping on a hardwood floor. "What in the world?" he said to himself under his breath before getting stopped by Loki. 

"We're here," he said grimly to Strange. 

The men found themselves in what looked like the walkway of a spacious house. Pictures of a happy family dotted the yellow walls around them. To their left was a wooden staircase leading to the upstairs. To their right was a kitchen adorned with quaint white cabinets with giant windows letting in soft light. Ahead of them was a living room, the sound of the TV floating into the walkway. Loki took a step forward to peak into the kitchen. In it were two people, a boy and a girl. The boy, a tall blonde with shaggy hair, was chopping vegetables on one of the counters. Behind him, the woman was stirring a large pot on the stove. The smell of spices and home cooking filled the room. It was the picture of domestic bliss. 

The man turned around, bringing the vegetables to the pot. When he saw them, he smiled. "Wanda, our guests are here." The woman--Wanda, presumably--stopped stirring the pot to look at them. At first, she looked confused. "Visitors? I don't remember--," Quickly, however, her look of confusion faded to one of bliss again. "Visitors. Of course. Pietro, show them to the table." 

Loki looked aghast as the blonde man grabbed his arm and led them to the dining room. He looked back at Strange. "Wizard, a little help?" 

Strange followed the men into the dining room where Pietro set them in two wooden chairs. He smiled at them. "Dinner is almost ready." 

Strange began to stand up, saying, "Actually, we need--," but before he could finish, Wanda walked into the room carrying a large pot. 

"Tommy, Billy, dinner's ready!" she called into the living room. The sound of tiny feet padded into the dining room. Two twin boys rushed in, each grabbing for a seat next to Pietro. Behind them was a gold and red man dressed in a sweater vest and khakis. In his head glowed the mind stone. Instantly, Strange recognized him. 

"The stone-keeper," he whispered to himself. The man kissed Wanda and sat next to her at the other end of the table. When he saw them, he smiled. 

"Thank you for joining us." 

"Wanda, we need to talk to you," Strange tried again, this time more forceful. 

"We can talk once the paprikash is poured," she responded, diligently pouring soup for her twin boys. 

"Please, we don't have much time," Strange said again, only to be ignored as the boys talked over him. He turned to Loki, exasperated. With a roll of his eyes, Loki stood up and grabbed Wanda's wrist.

"This is a farce. You are not here; you are in the soul stone. Everyone you love is dead," he said sternly, his eyes flashing. Wanda faltered, looking at him intensely. 

"W-what? Of course this isn't--" Loki took the pot from her and threw it on the ground to grab her other hand and step closer. 

"Yes, it is. And in your heart, you know it." He spoke softly this time, a hint of sympathy tinging his voice. The blonde man beside Strange, Pietro, began to fade as Loki spoke. Wanda saw this and gasped, yanking herself out of the god's hold. "Pietro, wait!" As she ran to him, a crack appearing in the ceiling. The two twin boys looked at each other. 

"Mama, I'll miss you," Tommy said. 

"We love you," Billy added. Then, the two of them faded away as well. Wanda began to shake as more cracks appeared on the floor. 

"Boys, no, please." She cried, rushing to where they were. When she looked up and saw her husband, however, she screamed. Strange jumped backwards when he looked over as well. Red and gold was replaced by black and gray. No longer were his eyes kind and warm; instead, they were white and lifeless. Where the stone used to be was a gaping hole filled with broken wires. 

"Vision!" she pleaded, falling to her knees. "NO!" Suddenly, the room began to swirl, just like when Strange woke up. The men fell to their knees, grasping the air for something to hold onto. Suddenly, they were back in the soul stone. The mist had cleared; Wanda was awake. However, she was still kneeling down in the water, sobbing. Carefully, Strange walked over to her. 

"Wanda," he began, unsure of how to comfort her, "I'm sorry but--" Wanda clawed at his arm, cutting him off. With a gasp, he tried to push away. Instead, she held on tighter. 

"Why did you wake me up?" She hissed, her eyes red. Red tendrils of magic began to flow out of her hands. "I had a family. Pietro was alive, Vision was alive, I had children!" she screamed, her grip tightening. With a pulse, she threw Strange backwards, sending him skidding across the water. Instantly, Loki was behind her, grabbing her by the arm. 

"Look, woman, this is for the greater good," he said, twisting her arm behind her back. Effortlessly, she twisted him off, turning her rage onto him. 

"How dare you! You've never lost your family, lost the love of your life!" She came at him with red magic. Loki came right back, grabbing her hands again. 

"I've lost my family! Twice!" He exclaimed, yelling back at her with just as much intensity. "I've lost my brother twice now! Do not tell me that I do not understand your grief!" Wanda's eyes began to come back to normal as his harsh words startled her into silence, the red magic fading off of her body. Loki pushed off of her, walking away briskly. Wanda stood still, hanging her head. 

"Why did you wake me up," she said emotionlessly as Strange came up behind her. 

"There's a way to reverse what Thanos did. There's a way to get out of here and back to reality, but I need your help." Wanda laughed sarcastically and turned to face him. 

"What makes you think I want to leave? I have no family, no Vision. I have nothing left for me." 

"The man you love, the stone-keeper. I think there's a way to bring him back." Instantly, Wanda had her hand around his neck, picking him up off the ground. 

"Do not joke with me," she hissed threateningly. 

"I saw the future using the time stone," he gasped as she choked him. "He was there with the mind stone, alive." Wanda released the wizard and stepped back. She looked at Strange suspiciously. 

"If you can promise that what you say is true, that you can bring him back, then I'll help both of you," she said finally. 

"If we can act according to the timeline that I saw, he'll be back. Everyone will be, but only if we work together," he said to her earnestly, Loki walking to stand beside him. She looked the both up and down one more time, sizing up the pair. 

"Fine, I'll help. Who are you guys anyway?" 

Dr. Strange straightened up, rolling his shoulders back. He spoke with the confidence of a Sorcerer Supreme: "My name is Doctor Strange. This is Loki. I have a plan."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for all the kudos and comments! Just fyi: I don't have a set uploading schedule, and it can become a little sporadic as I prepare to head back to school. The next chapter will be about Strange's plan & finding some of the other fallen heroes. Follow along to see who they find next! As always, thanks for reading!


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Strange explains his plan, and then the trio splits up to go find some of the Avengers.

The four of them--Gamora, Strange, Wanda, and Loki--stood in a circle under the orange sky. Wanda looked the wizard up and down with a raised eyebrow. 

"So? What's the plan?" she asked, folding her arms against her chest. 

Strange took a deep breath and began to explain: "When I looked through the possible futures when Tony, Peter, and I reached Titan, I saw over 1,000,000 possible endings to the conflict. There was only one where we won. In that one future, Thanos had to get all the stones." 

"Doesn't that mean HE won?" Loki questioned. 

"Yes and no. He thinks he won--and he has technically. In this moment, he's one. But we're playing the long game and eventually we'll come up on top. After all, we aren't dead yet." Strange paused to let his words sink in before continuing. 

"No matter how powerful any Sorcerer Supreme is, they cannot see past their own death. It's impossible. However, I was able to see past the Soul Stone, past getting eradicated. So, by my understanding, we aren't dead." 

"What are we then? In limbo?" Wanda asked the man. Gamora cut in before Strange could speak. 

"We're in the soul word, a pocket dimension inside the soul stone. The souls of those who were snapped out of existence were transported here. In the stone, they live in a dream state where they're trapped in a cage of their own making, so to speak. From what I can tell, the only people who are actually aware inside of this thing are us four." 

Loki looked up at the sky. "So, we're in an infinity stone. It's not what I would've pictured," he commented dryly. Wanda rolled her eyes. She turned back to Strange. 

"Okay, so what's the 'long game' exactly?"

"If we can find a way to leave the soul stone, then it's power is lost. Thanos can no longer wield it because his sacrifice," he paused to nod at Gamora, "will have exited the Soul World. Not only that, but if everything goes to plan, then the only three stones he'll be able to wield eventually will be the power, space, and reality stones. When I gave him the time stone, I pulled it from the future where it was being used in Thanos' future gauntlet." 

Loki raised an eyebrow. "You have the power to do that?"

Strange gave him a smug look. "I'm the protector of the time stone; I know most all of its abilities, one of which is the ability to move fluidly through time. It can go forward in time and backward in time as it pleases. I plucked it from the future. Since it was being used in two different gauntlets, the time stone should have massacred Thanos' gauntlet when he snapped; it's powers would be too volatile and override it. In the case of the mind stone, it seems like its allegiance is not to Thanos at all." With this, he made eye contact with Wanda. "I believe its loyalty lies with your friend instead." 

Wanda sucked in a breath, her eyes growing wide. "Vision? How?" 

"I believe part of his consciousness merged with it. So, in a way, he's a stonekeeper now. It's his to wield. When I looked into the future, I saw him using it against Thanos in the final battle." 

Wanda felt a rush go through her body. "He's alive," she breathed out, a bubble of happiness rising through her body. Now, she had something tangible to fight for instead of just fighting for the general universe, a universe that has spited her over and over again. 

Strange continued: "While we're in here, Tony and the others should be working out there. They should be figuring out how to move through time and collect the stones before Thanos can. Eventually, he'll catch up to them and attempt to stop him. At this moment, we'll leave the Soul Stone and join forces with the others. This time, Thanos won't be so strong." Strange prayed silently that Tony was strong enough to do what needed to be done. 

"Okay, so let's make this portal and leave this hell," Loki said happily, rubbing his hands together. Strange held up one hand to stop him, earning a groan from Loki. "What now, Wizard?"

"First of all," Strange said sharply, "It's Doctor Strange, not 'wizard.' Second, it'll take all three of us to be able to portal out of this place, and I don't have what I need to do so right now; portaling out is not the same as portaling in. Third, we need to find the other Avengers. We're going to need their help in the end; we'll need all the help we can get." 

"How are we going to find them in this place? It's completely empty!" As if to prove his point, Loki yelled the last sentence, listening to the echo bounce through the orange plains. 

"We'll split up. Gamora and I will find her friends, the Guardians. You two will go find the others." Wanda looked at Loki and groaned. 

"Can't I go with you instead of this insufferable idiot?" 

Loki rolled his eyes at her comment. "I don't very much want to meander through this place with you either, princess." 

"Don't call me princess!"

"Then don't mock me!" 

Strange put a hand to the bridge of his nose as the two squabbled like children. "We're never getting out of here," he thought to himself. He wished that Stark was here with him to help him control the others. Instead, he had to be the lone leader. So, he clapped his hands together.

"Hey, children!" he yelled, causing them to stop their chatter and look at him. "The faster you do this, the faster we can get out of here, and we need to get out of here quick. Time doesn't work the same in here as it does out there in the real world." Both of them raised an eyebrow at the man. 

"What do you mean?" asked Loki. 

"I mean that by the time we get out, up to eight years could've passed." 

"Eight years?" the two of them exclaimed, their mouths falling open. "My brother will think that I'm dead for nearly ten years?" Loki said softer this time, a visible sadness falling over his eyes. For a few moments, Strange felt sympathetic for the god. 

"Yes, so let's get to it. You two have the advantage of portaling to whoever you're looking for; Gamora and I will have to walk." This time, Loki and Wanda looked at each other with a resolute soundness. Together, they took a few steps to the side. Loki rubbed his hands together excitedly, a glint in his eye. Performing magic always sent a rush through him and adrenaline pumped through his veins. 

"Where to first, darling?" 

Wanda rolled her eyes. "I wasn't paying much attention to the others when I disappeared, but I'm pretty sure I saw Bucky disappear, too." 

"The soldier? Fine, as you wish." 

Wanda closed her eyes and focused on Bucky's image in her head. She focused on his essence, how he looked and sounded and smelled (according to Steve and Natasha, of course). When she had him firmly in her mind, she propelled magic out of the tips of her fingers. Loki focused all his chaotic energy in the same direction. With a little effort, a portal appeared before them, a mixture of red and green light swirling around the window. Wanda turned around and looked at Strange and Gamora. 

"Where should we meet you?" she asked the sorcerer. 

"When you've found all of them, portal to where we are. Hopefully we will have collected everyone we're supposed to as well." 

The four heroes stared at each other for one moment more before Loki pulled Wanda by the arm. 

"Come, we have to go." She nodded and took his arm. Then, the two of them stepped through the portal. Once they were through to the other side, the two of them disappeared. Strange turned to Gamora. 

"Shall we go? I assume you know where your friends are." 

Gamora nodded at him sadly. "Yes," she responded, her bottom lip quivering, "I do." 

So, they set off. 

\--------------------------------------

When Loki and Wanda stepped through the portal, they found a spaced-out Bucky Barnes standing a few yards away. White haze surrounded him, and his eyes were glazed over. Loki cracked his neck to one side. 

"Okay, let's do this," he said, preparing to enter Bucky's head. Before he could, however, Wanda grabbed his arm, pulling him backwards. 

"Loki, wait. We have to prepare ourselves. Bucky's had a...bad past, to say the least. He could become violent when we wake him up." 

Loki smirked down at the witch. "What, like you?" Wanda's face got hot. 

"Yeah, about that.." Loki put a hand up to stop her before she could continue. 

"You don't have to apologize to me. I know what it's like to feel rage like yours. Besides, I was a tad too rough with my handling of your dream. I think I'll let you take the lead." 

"Okay. Thanks, I guess." Wanda replied. The two of them stood there in an uncomfortable silence. 

"Well, let's get to it," Wanda said finally, stepping toward the soldier. 

"Yes, let's." Loki agreed as he stepped with her. The minute the two of them entered the dreamy smoke, the smell of old cigarette smoke hit them. Fast, upbeat jazz music became louder as they walked deeper into it. Suddenly, they emerged into the a large room crowded with men and women dressed to the nines. Wooden tables and chairs surrounded a large dance floor covered in couples moving and swaying to the beat. In one corner was a large bar with a number of people smoking and drinking glasses of a dark liquid. The sound of laughter mixed with the music in the air. Wanda and Loki craned their necks to look above the crowd of people. 

"Found him," Loki said, nodding to a table of people close to the dance floor. Looking over, Wanda did see Bucky; or, she saw someone who looked like him. This man had short hair and a smooth, pressed army uniform on. He was sitting with a girl in his lap, laughing at something she said. Wanda audibly gasped as she saw who was sitting at his close right. 

"Steve?" she said incredulously, staring at the man. He was clean shaven and wore the same uniform as Bucky. His eyes weren't as hardened as the Steve that Wanda knew. Instead, they were still innocent and hopeful. These were the eyes of a man who hadn't spent seventy years in hibernation while the world he knew was left behind. Steve's hand was clasped tightly in the hand of a girl sitting next to him. Wanda recognized her as Peggy, the woman Steve often talked about and drew in his notebook throughout the two years they were on the run. She was about to tell Loki this when she realized he was no longer next to her. Or, at least the Loki she came in with. 

He had transformed himself out of his formal green and silver attire into an army uniform that matched the others in the room. His long hair was shorter, slicked back under a cap. Wanda gaped at him. He looked down at her and clicked his tongue. 

"You stick out, too. We should change that." 

In a flash, Wanda was no longer wearing her jeans and red leather jacket. Instead, she was in a knee length polka dot dress. Her hair was in a twist. Loki straightened up and looped his arm through hers. 

"Much better." 

With a roll of her eyes, Wanda led Loki over to the table. As they got closer, they saw newspapers scattered across the table with headlines such as "V-Day!" and "Captain America & His Team Do It Again!" dotted across the top. When Bucky saw them coming, he smiled a raised a glass. 

"Where's your whiskey? It's a celebration! We won!" he cheered, taking another swig from his glass. Steve laughed as well, patting his friend on the arm. Wanda smiled sadly, knowing how unhappy Bucky would be when he woke up. His dream was simply to be with Steve, alive, in the 40s where they both belonged. 

"Bucky, can we talk?" Wanda asked calmly. Bucky shrugged and stood up, urging the girl on his lap off of him. With a smile, Loki took his place, pulling the girl back into his lap instead. He took a swig of the whiskey in front of him and mingled with those around him. His ability to adapt to any situation effortlessly was truly remarkable to watch. 

Bucky came towards her and leaned against a chair, looking her up and down. "How about you and me go talk over by the bar? Drinks are on me." He leaned in to her with a smile. Wanda grimaced and backed off quickly. 

"Bucky, this isn't real. You need to wake up." 

"Of course it's real! I know, I know, it feels like a dream. But I promise the war is over!" Bucky said, his smile wide. 

"God, I wish that was true," Wanda responded. She put her hands to his cheeks. Bucky grinned and stepped closer. 

"Doll, if you wanna get out of here we can--" 

Before he could finish, Wanda closed her eyes and reached into his subconscious. She showed him images of his real self, images of what really happened. HYDRA, Siberia, all of it. With a gasp, he pushed off of her. "What the--" he turned frantically to look back to Steve, sensing that something was about to be very wrong. When he did, he realized the whole of the room was empty; only he, Loki, and Wanda remained. 

"W-what did you do to me?" he asked urgently, his voice cracking. He took another step back, bumping into the table. When he brought his arms back to stop himself from falling, he yelled in surprise; his arm was made of metal. A chill fell over the room, the glass countertop of the bar fogging up as goosebumps prickled down Wanda's arms. She looked down at a newspaper on the floor; the language had switched from English to Russian. 

"I'm gonna be sick," he groaned. "Steve? Peggy?" he yelled, his voice cracking. Loki came up behind him, twisting him around before he could protest. With a commanding voice, he put two fingers to his forehead. 

"Wake up, soldier." 

With that, the room begin to spin in an all too familiar way. Suddenly, the three of them were back in the Soul World. Bucky jolted forward and then looked up at the two of them, eyes frantically searching for a piece of the dream. 

"What the hell is going on? Where's Steve?"

Loki smiled sadly. "Welcome back. It seems you've missed a lot." 

Across the soul stone, Strange and Gamora finally reached the Guardians.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you, thank you, THANK YOU for all the comments and kudos! It really means a lot to me. I love hearing from you guys and getting your feedback, so keep it coming!


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Some of the guardians wake up, as well as some other familiar faces.

Stephen and Gamora had found the Guardians. 

Or, they had found most of the guardians. 

"Rocket's the only one left," Gamora remarked. She bit her lip in frustration. 

"I take it they were your friends?" Stephen asked the young girl. 

"No," Gamora said with a smile, "They were my family. Thanos taught me that I was nothing; I was worth nothing in the whole universe and I was nothing without him. But these people? They taught me that I had something to offer, that my past doesn't define my present."

And then, before Strange's eyes, the young girl before him grew into a woman. Her dark hair fell out of its braids and when she finished growing, she was at eye level with Stephen. He stared at her at a loss for words. Gamora looked down at herself and smiled, shaking her head as if clearing a fog. 

"It's working," she said breathlessly, grinning from ear to ear. "When I was absorbed into the stone, I think I was reverted back into the state where Thanos had the most control over me: when I was a young girl, almost completely innocent. That's when he had the most influence over me. But now?" Gamora paused, setting her mouth in a hard line. "Now, I'm my own woman, and I'm not blinded by his lies anymore." 

Stephen looked around him and saw three people sitting in a fog: Mantis and Drax, both of whom he met already, and a small tree-being sitting cross-legged beside them. 

Peter Quill was nowhere to be found. 

"Shall we?" Strange said, urging Gamora along. She held up a hand to stop him before he could step forward with her. 

"Do you mind if I do this alone? There's someone over there who could use your help, too." Stephen looked towards where she was pointing and saw that in the distance, a milky cloud was floating, shrouding whoever was inside from sight. Stephen looked back to Gamora. 

"You're sure you want to do this alone?" 

Gamora nodded. "Positive," she said firmly. 

Strange nodded, and set off towards the cloud. 

Gamora took a deep breath and headed towards Mantis first. Being the sacrifice that gave Thanos the soul stone gave Gamora special abilities: she felt every soul that Thanos sucked out of existence, saw them and their faces in her mind. When Thanos snapped and sent half of humanity here, the rush had caused her to crumple in agony; she felt half the universe's pain in one single moment. She saw the faces of her friends rush by her and heard their groans. Gamora could pinpoint their whereabouts within the stone; she could see them like a beacon. 

She knew Mantis could be a huge help in waking others up. Being an empath, Mantis could feel others' emotions deeply and profoundly; she could also wake people up from deep sleeps. Besides, Gamora liked Mantis. She was good company during the long hours in the ship when she couldn't stand Drax, Rocket, and Peter's constant one-upping each other. 

Gamora squatted down to where Mantis was sitting in the water so that she could look in her eyes. The cloud around her was thin and shimmering, not thick and milky like Wanda's or Drax's. Gamora chewed on the skin inside her mouth, mulling something over. "What if I just--" Gamora said to herself, placing two fingers on Mantis' forehead. 

Her antennas began to glow. 

"Mantis? Wake up, Mantis," she said. 

The cloud began to clear. 

"Gamora," Mantis said so quietly that Gamora almost missed it. Then, she said it again. "Gamora," she stated, her voice growing more confident. Gamora smiled as she heard her friend's voice. 

"C'mon, Mantis. You know you're in a dream. You know this isn't real." 

Then, very slowly, the cloud dispersed from around her. Mantis lurched forward, clutching Gamora's arm. She blinked a couple of times, getting her bearings. "Gamora? Gamora!" Then, Mantis was knocking Gamora back in a huge hug, making Gamora smile. "We thought you were dead!" she shrieked, gripping onto the woman. Suddenly, she pulled back and looked up at her. "Am I dead too?" 

"Hey, Mantis." Gamora helped her friend stand up. Mantis spun in a circle, taking in everything around her. "We're in the Soul Stone," Gamora explained, telling her what Strange had explained to the others. When she got to the part about the dreams, Mantis frowned. 

"I did not dream," she said with a frown. "But, I don't dream in the real world either." 

"Did you see anything?" 

"No, I think I was just sleeping. But, it wasn't a comfortable sleep. It was very restless; I felt like I was stuck in deep, deep water." Mantis looked over and saw Drax and Groot standing behind Gamora, thick gray clouds covering their bodies. "Drax! Groot!" she yelled in distress. 

"It's going to be harder to wake them up," Gamora said with a frown, "They're in deep." 

"But we must try," Mantis responded resolutely.

Gamora flexed her muscles in her dueling uniform, wishing she was back in her leather pants and jacket. She took the lead and Mantis followed. Before they got into the cloud, Gamora turned to Mantis and stopped her. 

"I think you should wait out here. I'll get Drax myself."

"But why?"

"So far, the only people I've seen able to actually walk into someone's dream are people with magic. I don't know what it would do to you." 

Mantis frowned. "I want to try. They are my friends," she said, putting emphasis on the word "friend." Gamora looked at her, thinking hard. Finally, with a sigh, she gave in.

"Fine, but only because you weren't dreaming and your empath skills could help with waking him up. Mantis smiled and clapped, walking to Gamora's side. She took her by the hand, gripping tightly. Gamora's first instinct was to recoil; the instinct drilled into her was that physical touch was negative. It took months and months until she was comfortable with Peter pulling her in for hugs and holding her hand when the others aren't looking. But Mantis was more than a friend, she was family. So, Gamora squeezed her hand back. 

They stepped forward into the fog. 

They found themselves in a grassy field, large trees dotting the grass every so often. The sky was blue and purple with not a cloud in sight. Drax and two others sat on the grass a few feet away from them. To Gamora and Mantis, it was clear who he was there with: his wife and daughter, the two people Drax loved the most in the universe. 

Gamora and Mantis walked towards them, tall grass swishing up against their legs as they got closer to the family. Drax was staring at his wife and child with a smile on his face, seemingly unaware of their presence. When Mantis got closer, she realized that he had tears in his eyes. She gingerly touched her hand to his back, tuning in to his emotions. 

She sucked in air with a gasp. Tears sprung to her eyes. "He is awake already," she said through a shaky voice, "He knows." 

Gamora sat down next to Drax's wife. She had skin lighter than Drax's with bright blue eyes that were somewhat unnerving. Her jet black hair was cropped at her shoulders. Next to her was Drax's daughter. Her hair was as black as her mothers and she was weaving the grass in front of her, creating a braided pattern. Her eyes squinted in concentration as her hands moved fast and confidently. 

"She's beautiful, just like you said," Gamora whispered. 

"She's just like her mother," Drax responded dreamily, taking his wife by the hand. She turned her head to look at him, smiling. 

"I know this isn't real," Drax continued, still looking at the woman next to him, "But I want to stay here a little bit longer." Gamora nodded, even though she knew time was of the essence. 

So, they all sat in the grass under the blue and purple sky, listening to a wind rustle the grass around them. The only other sound was the soft whisper of grass as the little girl weaved the blades over and under each other, not a care in the world. Mantis picked a few strands next to her and began braiding as well. 

\---------------------------------------------------  
Meanwhile, Strange had reached the milky white cloud across the way from the guardians. He tentatively walked in a circle around it, trying to get a glimpse of the person inside. He got glimpses of what looked like a metal suit, but he couldn't tell who was wearing it. So, he squared his shoulders and walked into the unknown. 

As he emerged from the fog, he found himself in the middle of a lavish bedroom. One whole wall consisted solely of windows looking out over a bustling city. A large canopy bed stood against the other, black and blue curtains shimmering in the light. Large plants sat in the corners, framed pictures of a family above them on the walls. Curiously, a large black jungle cat sat in the middle of the room, its dark tail swaying. Stephen eyed it warily, not wanting to spook it. It stared him down with bright yellow eyes. Stephen knew that the Wakandans worshipped the god Bast who took the form of a panther; Stephen suspected this was the representation of Bast in T'Challa's dream. There was a series of chairs facing one of the windows. Someone sat in one of them with his back to Stephen; Stephen already had a feeling that he knew who it was. 

He softly walked towards the chairs. As he moved to sit next to the person, his hunch was confirmed: T'Challa, the young king of Wakanda, was sitting in a chair, pensively looking out the window. Stephen uneasily took a seat next to him, furrowing his brow. Did the king know he was there? Stephen decided to break the silence. 

"Hello, King T'Challa," he said formally, bowing his head slightly. T'Challa didn't seem to notice and continued to stare out the window. Stephen took a breath and spoke again: "Do you know where you are?" 

T'Challa's brow furrowed slightly. "I think I do. I am in Wakanda, but it does not feel right. Something is off." T'Challa shifted in his seat, crossing one leg over the other. "However," he continued, "I can't put my finger on it." 

"Where is your father?" Stephen asked, knowing full well that his father was dead. Or, his real father was. 

"My father...," T'Challa said, trailing off. He squinted his eyes as if he was looking at a picture from far away, trying to decipher what it is. "My father should be out and about in the city somewhere. He hasn't come back in a long time." 

Stephen turned in his seat to face T'Challa. "T'Challa, your father died in an attack at the U.N. Headquarters two years ago. You were there. You took up the mantle of both king and protector of Wakanda, and opened up your country to the world." Stephen said, trying to be as firm as he could without upsetting the man. "Your country was just attacked by aliens, decimated by a Titan named Thanos." 

T'Challa turned to look at the sorcerer next to him, a far away look in his eyes. "My father is dead?" 

"Yes, he is," Strange said softly. "And now, it's time for us to wake up." T'Challa furrowed his brow at this, unable to comprehend that he was in a dream. 

"Your country is left defenseless without you, King T'Challa. It's time to go back and protect them." 

Slowly, T'Challa rose from his chair. His hands clasped behind his back, he walked towards the windows in front of him and stared down at the city. Even though minutes ago the sky was blue and filled with light, the sun was now setting, a dark orange glow falling over the buildings below them. A shadow in the corner of the room caught Stephen's eye. Turning to follow it, he nearly jumped out of his skin. The large, midnight-black panther was stalking towards them. T'Challa turned to face it, unwavering. He greeted the animal with a smile, sliding onto one knee and bowing to it. Slowly, it weaved past Strange, brushing against him. When it reached T'Challa, it slowly touched the top of it's head to his, purring loudly. The dark orange of the sunset filled the room until all that Stephen could see was orange. 

The room began to spin. 

The next thing he knew, he was back in the soul stone, a very awake T'Challa standing next to him in full Black Panther garb. Stephen reached out to shake his hand. 

"King T'Challa, it's good to have you back," 

"Good to be back. Where exactly is 'back' though?" he asked, looking around him warily. Strange walked with him back towards the guardians, explaining everything to T'Challa. T'Challa walked with his hands clasped behind his back, deep in thought. 

"Is my sister here? Is Okoye?" 

"No, I don't think so." Stephen responded. 

"Thank Bast. Wakanda needs them now more than ever," T'Challa said firmly. Stephen noticed how shaky his voice was; he could tell the young king was more shaken up than he cared to let on. 

When the pair got back to the others, they found Drax wide awake, standing with Mantis and Gamora over the tree. Drax looked up and smiled when he saw the man.

"Wizard, you are here as well!" he exclaimed. Strange rolled his eyes. 

"Good to see you too, Drax." 

Mantis reached down and put two fingers on the forehead of the tree. "Wake," she whispered, her antennas glowing. Gamora put a hand on the tree's arm as well, rubbing it like a mother would to a child waking up out of a deep sleep. Slowly, the fog cleared around him. His eyes focused on the two women. 

"I am Groot?" It said to them. It looked from Mantis to Gamora to Drax. "I am Groot!" It exclaimed, leaping at the three of them. They all laughed, pulling it into a hug. 

"Who is that?" Strange said with one eyebrow raised. To his suprise, T'Challa answered.

"That is Tree. He is a friend of Thor," T'Challa explained. 

"I am Groot!" the tree, apparently named Groot, responded. Stephen ignored him and looked toward Gamora instead. 

"Where's Quill? He disappeared with us on Titan." 

"Quill is gone too?" Drax asked with wide eyes. Gamora nodded and chewed her lip. 

"He's with a young boy. I heard their souls enter together. They're a ways away." 

"Peter," Stephen breathed out, his heart sinking. He knew that it had to happen, that Peter had to get dusted in the grand scheme of things; that didn't mean that Strange still didn't feel for the boy. "Tony's all alone on that planet with Nebula," he continued. Suddenly, the ground started to shake and a sound like lightning echoed overhead. Looking up, the group found that a large crack had settled in the sky, light flashing all around it like a large thunderstorm. 

"It's working," Gamora said breathlessly. "The stone doesn't know what to do with us now that we're waking up; it's losing its power." 

"Then we should continue waking others up, yes?" added T'Challa. 

"Wizard, take us to Quill using your magic portal and your death blanket," commanded Drax. Strange rolled his eyes. 

"I don't have my sling ring with me, Drax. I can't make a portal. So, we have to walk." 

Drax narrowed his eyes. "You are a very bad wizard," he said under his breath. Strange pinched the bridge of his nose, willing himself to stay calm despite his annoyance. He was beginning to wish Tony Stark was here. 

\-------------------------------------------

"Where the hell am I?" asked Bucky Barnes. 

"It's a long story," Wanda told him, "Basically--" 

"We're all dead--killed by Thanos when he snapped his fingers--and now we're trapped in an infinity stone. You're only hope at getting out is one half-wit 'sorcerer,' this young lady, and myself, a god with extensive knowledge of magic," Loki said, cutting Wanda off. Bucky gave him the up-down, taking in Loki in all his glory. 

"Do I know you?" 

Loki straightened up and began to launch into his speech: "I am Loki of Asgard, god of mischief and chaos, the rightful king of the--" 

"He's Thor's brother who attacked New York in 2012," interrupted Wanda. Loki threw his hands up in the air in exasperation. Bucky looked at him again and shrugged. 

"Yeah, I don't remember a lot from that period of time. I was brainwashed until Steve helped--" Bucky stopped suddenly, eyes wide. "Is Steve here?" he asked frantically, taking a step towards Wanda. She bit her lip and shook her head apologetically. Bucky took a deep breath and rubbed his metal arm as if it was aching. "Wow. Okay. Who is here then?" 

Wanda sighed and began to rattle off the names. "The ones we know of are us three, Dr. Strange, and a woman named Gamora and her friends. There may be more here, but I don't know about them if they are. I wasn't really paying attention when I disappeared." Bucky looked at her with soft eyes, then put a hand on her shoulder. 

"I'm sorry about Vision," he said sincerely. Wanda smiled back and nodded, not trusting herself to say thank you without bursting into tears. 

"Well, if you two are done wallowing I think we should go back to hunting down the other Avengers, don't you think?" Loki asked bluntly, spitting out the word 'avengers' like it was venom. Bucky turned around to look at him through squinted eyes. 

"You know, I don't think I like you," he said. Loki's mouth quirked up in a smile. 

"Just give it some time. You'll come to love me." 

"Doubtful," Wanda interjected, shooting Loki a look. "Loki's right. Bucky, can you think of anyone else who could have died too? If they're here, we can portal to them." Bucky thought for a second, pushing a piece of hair behind his ear. 

"Steve's not here. Is Natasha?" 

Wanda closed her eyes, focusing on Natasha and everything about her. Wanda released a breath when she realized the portal wouldn't form. "Looks like she's not here," Wanda said thankfully. 

"What about Sam?" 

Wanda repeated what she did before, picturing the sarcastic man in her head whom she spent nearly two years with on the run. A portal began to form in front of her, signifying that Sam was indeed with them in the stone. Quickly, Loki pushed his own magic into it, forcing the portal to wide in. When it was big enough, the two lowered their arms. "This way," Wanda said, stepping through first with Loki on her heels. Bucky stared at it for a second, hesitant to jump through. 

"I am too old for this shit," he grumbled to himself before finally squaring his shoulders and following the two of them in. When the portal closed behind him, he found Wanda and Loki nowhere to be seen. Instead, Sam was standing in front of him by himself, a gray fog partially covering him from view. Bucky turned in a circle, looking for the rest of the group. 

"Wanda? Loki?" he called aimlessly.

No answer. 

So, he carefully walked in front of Sam, staring at the man. He was still wearing his bird-suit and his goggles. Bucky always thought the costume was a bit much and a little laughable, so it gave him some sort of sick happiness that Sam was stuck in here wearing it. He waved a hand in front of Sam's face, looking for a reaction. 

"Sam? Wake up," Bucky commanded, moving his hand faster. 

Nothing happened. Sam still stared aimlessly into the distance and didn't react to Bucky's motions. So, Bucky upped the pressure. He pushed a hand gently against Sam's chest, hoping to knock him off balance. Sam bent backwards slightly, but came right back up to standing position without moving a muscle. Bucky pushed harder, and the same thing happened. He huffed, pushing his hair out of his face. He tried flicking Sam on the forehead, but that didn't work either.

Bucky lightly tapped Sam's cheek with his hand, hoping to get him to wake up. Once again, nothing. Bucky slapped him a little harder this time. Nothing. 

"Okay, this might hurt a little bit. Sorry buddy," Bucky said, staggering his feet. He stretched his metal arm, turning it in a circle. Bucky was so wrapped up in his endeavors that he didn't notice the fog clearing and Wanda and Loki appearing next to Sam. He might have noticed Sam's face muscles twitch, his fingers jerk, and his swaying start to stop. However, Bucky didn't notice any of that in time. 

Instead, without hesitation and with as much power as he could manage, Bucky Barnes took his metal arm and backhanded Sam across the face with it as hard as he could. The impact sent Sam flying to the side, landing in the water with a splash. 

"Bucky! Oh my god!" yelled Wanda in horror. Loki laughed and nodded his head. "That's one way to wake him up," he said with a smirk.

"What the hell was that!" Sam yelled, rubbing his jaw. "One minute I'm having the best dream of my LIFE, and then these two fools walk in and tell me I'm dead? And then out of nowhere some asshole punches me," he continued, hopping onto his feet. "Who did that? I'm gonna--" Sam stopped as he saw Bucky standing in front of him, a sheepish look on his face. Sam's mouth dropped open in surprise. He put a hand on his forehead and groaned. 

"You're here too?" he asked in a high pitched voice. Bucky waved half-heartedly. Loki nodded enthusiastically, eager to see where this was going. 

"I though you guys said this is supposed to be some kind of utopia! Absolutely not. If he's here, I am definitely in hell," Sam looked around quickly, checking to see if anyone was behind him. "Please tell me that Stark isn't here, too." 

Bucky rolled his eyes and pulled the man in for a hug. "Good to see you too, Sam. Welcome to hell."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for all the kudos! I tried to make this chapter a little more humorous. I'm having so much fun writing the Loki-Wanda dynamic! Make sure to comment if you liked it. Thanks for reading!


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Bucky and Loki get in a scuffle and Wanda and Loki bond over dark humor.

When Wanda finished explaining the current situation to Sam, he stood their dumbfounded. 

"So...I'm not dead?" he asked tentatively. 

"Yes and no. Sort of dead, but also sort of alive," Wanda responded with a shrug of her shoulders. 

"We're definitely not dead. I myself have faked death multiple times; I know what being 'half-dead' feels like," interjected Loki. Sam poked his head out from around Wanda to stare at the man with narrowed eyes. He recognized Loki from the attack on New York. 

"Why are we even hanging around with this guy? Isn't he, like, evil?" Sam asked Wanda with animosity in his voice, "Didn't he try to enslave the human race or something?" With fire in his eyes, Loki came closer to the man, jaw clenched. 

"That was in the past. Truth be told, the only reason I'm helping you all is to help my brother, Thor." Loki turned back around and began to take a few steps away from Sam. "Besides," he continued, "I've turned over a new leaf. I'm a good guy now," 

Sam rolled his eyes. "Yeah, I still don't trust you." Loki stopped in his tracks and turned back around, one eyebrow raised. Loki didn't like the man's tone, and his patience was at an all time low. He began stalking back towards Sam menacingly. 

"I am your best hope out of here. Without me, your friends couldn't make their so-called magic strong enough to get us out of here. So, you might not trust me. But, dear boy, you need me." By the time Loki had finished his speech, his face was inches away from Sam's. Sam didn't back down in the slightest. Instead, he moved closer. 

"I'm not afraid of you." 

Loki smiled a wicked smile. "Oh," he said softly, "you should be." 

"You're nothing but Thor's little brother. I've never met him, but I've heard he's ten times the god you are," continued Sam with fervor. 

"Guys, that's _enough!_ " yelled Wanda, feeling the tension rise. "We're all stressed out. Everyone just calm down!" Her warnings were useless. Mentioning Thor had triggered something in Loki; telling Loki that he was nothing compared to Thor was an old wound that would never fully heal. Adding in the fact that the last thing Thor ever said to him was that he was the "worst brother ever," Sam's insult was enough to make Loki snap. Quick as a flash, daggers appeared in Loki's hands. He whipped a hand forward, aiming toward's Sam's face. Before the knife could reach its target, however, Bucky stepped in it's way. 

Bucky grabbed Loki's wrist with his arm. He twisted it into an awkward angle, forcing Loki to drop the dagger. Loki sucked in a breath at the pain, faltering in his steps. Bucky took the opportunity to land a kick squarely in the god's chest, sending him skidding backwards. Loki's arm hung limp at his side when the god slid to a stop, teeth bared. Using his rage to numb the pain, Loki lunged for Bucky. Suddenly, all the three men could see was red. 

" _Enough!_ " Wanda screamed. Her hands were in the air, red magic cascading around the crew. It filled their senses until all they could think about was the hue. The reason they were all angry began to drift further and further away from their minds, until they didn't remember why they were fighting in the first place. Wanda used her magic to push the men away from each other harshly, sending Bucky and Sam skidding across the water. She lowered her hands and let the magic subside. 

Loki shook his head, trying to clear the fog in his brain. "What did you just do to us?" he asked.

"If you idiots won't stop fighting on your own, then I'll step in for you. You are all _children_ ," She yelled, glaring at Bucky and Sam. "Our only hope of getting out of here and seeing our friends again is each other. My only hope of seeing Vision again is getting you fools to stop fighting for one second. So if you can't do if for yourselves," she yelled, breathing hard, "do it for me." 

The men got up from off the ground, looking at Wanda sheepishly. Loki struggled to get up, his arm hanging limp at his side still. Wanda sighed and walked over to him. "Let me see your hand," she said, gingerly placing it in the palm of her own. Loki hissed at the contact. Wanda chewed her lip as she looked it over. Throughout his life, Pietro took great joy in picking fights with the other boys in Sokovia. Even before he got his powers from HYDRA, he was agile. He would provoke the other boys and then laugh when they couldn't catch him. Wanda had to clean him up whenever he was finally caught. So, she was no stranger to a broken hand. Loki's was already bruising, and his wrist was beginning to swell. 

"Well, it's definitely broken," she said with a sigh. "Think you can still do magic with it?" 

Loki sniffed angrily, jaw clenched. "Not to my fullest abilities, no." 

Wanda dropped his hand and rubbed her temples, her heart rate increasing again. "Great. Because you three are complete imbeciles, we can't portal back to Strange. Great job, boys," She squinted at the sky before calling her magic back to her hands. She pictured Dr. Strange's face in her mind, then cast out a thread of red magic. Slowly, it began to form a trail in the orange sky, leading away from them into the distance. 

She dropped her hands and smirked at her handiwork. "Follow that path. It'll lead us to him. We're going to have to walk." 

Sam's jaw was hanging open. "When did you learn to do that, Red?" he asked, using the nickname he had coined during their years on the run. Wanda just shrugged in response. 

"I think my powers are stronger because we're in close proximity to the mind stone in it's purest form. Whatever it is, you can thank it for keeping us going and keeping Bucky out of the hospital," she said, nodding towards the soldier she saved from Loki's wrath. Bucky just rolled his eyes. 

"Okay, here's the deal. Loki and I are going to walk ahead. You two can follow behind. If you're going to act like kids, I'm going to treat you like kids," Wanda commanded, doing her best impression of Steve's "I am the Captain so do what I say" voice. 

"Is this really necessary?" groaned Loki, not enjoying being treated like a toddler. Wanda shot daggers at him with her eyes, red flashing through her irises. Without saying anything else, Loki conceded, walking to her side. Wanda and Loki began following the trail, Sam and Bucky a comfortable distance behind them. 

"And to think, I'm the youngest one here," she thought to herself in the silence. She could vaguely here Bucky and Sam talking behind her. If this was how their quest was going to go, then it was going to be painful. Wanda sighed. The only reason she was even doing this was because of the vision Strange had. What if he was wrong? What if when they get out-- _if_ they get out--, Thanos wins again? Then Wanda will be painfully alive with no family and no Vision. 

"I can hear you thinking," Loki mused from beside the witch. Wanda whipped her head towards him. 

"What? No you can't. Can you?," Wanda said hurriedly. Loki rolled his eyes. 

"It's a figure of speech. It's what my mother would say to me when she knew I was thinking too much or worrying." 

"Oh," Wanda said, embarrassed that she snapped at him, "sorry. Vision used to say that to me when he could _actually_ hear my thoughts." 

"This Vision," Loki said, treading carefully, "You loved him?" 

Wanda nodded. "My family died in an explosion. My brother was killed only a few years ago. After that, Vision was all I had. He was all I needed," Wanda felt a lump rise in her throat, preventing her from speaking with a steady voice, "And now he's gone too," she finished with a whisper. Part of her was embarrassed that she was getting this emotional in front of a man she'd only just met. The other part of her, however, was too grief-stricken to care. 

Loki was silent for a beat, then spoke up. "My father never told me he loved me until before he died. My mother loved me unconditionally, but the last thing I said to her before her murder was that I didn't think of her as my mother. It wasn't even true; I just said it out of anger. I've betrayed my brother time and time again, and he's always given me a second chance. But the last thing he said to me before I 'died' was that I was the worst brother ever." Loki stared ahead as he spoke, expressionless. "I've grown accustomed to being alone." 

"Sound's like a sad existence," Wanda quipped. 

"It is," he replied. He looked down at Wanda, finding her eyes. "Use all the rage and loneliness inside you. Use the pain and suffering. Use it as power, and use it against Thanos," He looked back ahead, staring into the orange expanse. "Use it and make him pay." 

"Oh, I intend to," Wanda replied, staring ahead as well. They fell back into silence for a while, the only sounds being the splashing of the water beneath them and the occasional laugh from Bucky or Sam. How they managed to find humor in this situation Wanda would never know. 

Loki smirked and turned towards Wanda. "You know, I could teach you a couple tricks," 

Wanda looked at him with one eyebrow raised. "You? Teach me? Oh please," she said with a roll of her eyes. 

"I've been alive for nearly 1500 years. You are powerful on your own, of course. But I can teach a thousand ways to be more powerful." 

"You just want me to turn into a trickster like you. You'll only bring out the chaos inside me," 

Loki laughed and smiled a wicked smile. "Oh," he said, rolling his shoulders back, "Chaos can be so much fun, though." 

"Chaos like attacking a major city with an alien army and killing hundreds of people?" Wanda said sarcastically. Loki feigned hurt and put a hand on his chest. 

"Of course not! I'm thinking more along the lines of turning one of your friends into, say, a bird? Or masking yourself as some household object and then turning back into yourself when they least expect it. Or even," he paused before continuing, stealing a look at Bucky behind him, "turning your friend's metal arm into a wooden spoon," Loki finished with a playful wink at Wanda before facing forward again. 

"You're talking about pranks?" 

"Thor and myself used to love pranking each other. Well, I like it more than Thor. I was usually doing the pranking." Wanda laughed at Loki's joke, a sound that seemed foreign to her after everything that had happened. Loki's chest swelled, proud of himself for making his new friend laugh. 

"Thor always fell for the old 'snake in the throne room' trick without ever questioning _why_ there would be a snake there in the first place!" he continued, rolling his eyes. Talking about the good memories with Thor mitigated some of the guilt Loki felt for having to trick his brother once again. 

"The most chaotic thing Pietro and I ever did as children was steal scraps of bread from the market next to our house and take them back to the outskirts of town. We'd pretend we were bakers and sell our bread to our friends," Wanda said, smiling at the memory of her twin. 

"Oh please," Loki said playfully,"That is hardly a prank." 

"Turning yourself into a snake is a pretty novice prank, too!" Wanda retorted. 

Loki tilted his head and stared into the sky as if he was thinking deeply. "Well," he finally said with a sigh, "I guess the time when I pretended to be dead in order to pose as my father and steal the throne was a pretty good prank." He looked down to find Wanda gaping up at him, mouth hanging open. At first, he thought he'd gone to far with his jokes. Did she not have a dark sense of humor? Did she think he was being serious? 

His doubts were cast out when Wanda let out a loud, barking laugh. She laughed so hard she had to stop and put her hands on her knees. "I-I don't know why that's is s-so funny to me!" she said in between fits of laughter, "I think I'm just delirious at this point. I don't usually laugh at dark humor like that." She finally stood up tall and wiped the corners of her eyes. Loki puffed out his chest proudly, happy that he could make her laugh despite their current situation. 

His happiness was soon dampened when he heard Bucky call from behind him. 

"Hey, what's so funny?" 

"None of your business," Loki growled from over his shoulder, still embarrassed that he had been bested by the man. He heard splashing as the two of them got closer. 

"Loki, look," Bucky said, walking in front of the man. "Sam and I are sorry. We talked it over, and we agree that we let things get out of hand. Wanda's right; we need each other if we want to get out of this place. So, sorry." Bucky finished by extending a hand to Loki in apology. Loki looked at the hand in confusion and mild disgust. 

"Loki, do you have anything you want to say?" Wanda said sarcastically, crossing her arms over her chest. In that moment, she looked and sounded so much like Frigga that Loki couldn't help but acquiesce.

"I'm sorry, too," he said through clenched teeth, shaking the man's hand. He even went as far as extending his hand to Sam as well. Sam shook it humbly with a sour look on his face. 

"Looks like your hand is doing better," Sam said, nodding at Loki's injured hand. Looking down, he saw that the man was right: his wrist's swelling had gone down and his fingers and palm were no longer purple. Loki flexed his fingers, seeing how they felt. He called a little magic to them as well and tested how it felt. 

"Well, I am a god," Loki responded. "I do believe I'll be able to work to my fullest potential now," Loki said, glittering sparks flying off his fingers in anticipation. Wanda put her own hands up in front of her, the red in the sky swirling towards the group. It curled into a circle in front of them, the air shining and shimmering. Loki jumped in with his own magic, silver and gold mixing with the red. Soon, there was a fully functional portal swirling in front of the group. Inside it, they could see the outlines of figures standing in a circle, staring back at them. Wanda went through first, followed by the boys. When they stepped onto the other side, they were greeted by Strange and a woman who looked like Gamora, only older. A group of people the rest had never seen before stood behind them. 

"Glad you could join us," Strange said, nodding at Loki and Wanda before looking Sam and Bucky up and down. "You're right on time." 

Wanda craned her neck to see who was behind the group of people. She made out two figures surrounded in milky clouds a few feet away from each other. One was a man she didn't know, but the other she recognized. 

It was Stark's kid--Peter Parker.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for all the comments and kudos! I wanted to explore Loki and Wanda's friendship in this chapter and their dynamic. Next chapter is gonna be an emotional one so strap in folks. Thanks for reading!


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Peter and Peter wake up, and the pieces finally start to come together.

"That's Stark's kid," Wanda breathed out, heart clenching. He was only a few years younger than her, but to Wanda he looked much younger. He was swaying back and forth in his spider costume, a dazed look on his face. 

"Wait, this kid is Stark's? The one we fought in Germany?" asked Bucky. 

"Who would willingly have a child with Stark?" Loki added with a sneer, earning him an elbow to the side from Wanda. 

"He's not literally his kid. Stark just took him under his wing. We kept up with the news from New York while we were on the run and his name popped up here and there for stopping some medium-level crimes," Sam explained. 

"He's a good kid," Strange said sadly. From what he saw on Titan, he knew that Peter was brave, loyal, and ambitious. And even if Stark didn't want to admit it, Peter was more-or-less his kid. 

And out in the real world, Peter had been "dead" for anywhere from four to eight years, depending on how slow time moved in the Soul World. 

"Loki, Wanda. I'll need both of you to help wake Peter up," Strange said, turning to the other two mages. 

"I'll pass," Loki said with folded arms, "I've never been good with children,"

Strange rolled his eyes. "I don't care. Peter's relatively young and easily lulled into believing that this dream is his reality, more so than the rest of us. It'll be like waking up Wanda, but even harder. And this time we can't just use brute force to wake him up; it could easily traumatize him." Strange finished by glaring at Loki, who simply shrugged. He then turned back towards Gamora and the Guardians. 

"Gamora, do you think you can handle Peter on your own?" 

Gamora nodded solemnly. "Absolutely." 

"Well then. Let's head on in," Strange paused to give Bucky and Sam the up-down with his eyes, "You two just wait here and try not to wander off." With that, Wanda and Loki fell in line behind the sorcerer and walked into the haze surrounding Peter Parker. 

Sam and Bucky gave each other a confused look. "Who the hell is that guy? When did we add him to the team?" Bucky asked. 

"I have no idea," Sam responded, walking over to shake T'Challa's hand. 

\----------------------------------------------

As the three walked deeper into the fog, Wanda, Loki, and Stephen began to hear what sounded like a bustling crowd. Laughter and chatter echoed in the distance, growing closer every second. Slowly, the fog cleared. The three of them were standing in the doorway of a spacious apartment. Party streamers hung from the ceiling and a big banner with the words "Happy Graduation Day!" was strung up over the kitchen. There were teenagers mulling around, chatting and eating cake. Flashes went off from around the room every so often as people took pictures with each other, huge smiles on their faces as they held their diplomas in front of them. 

"What exactly is going on?" Loki whispered to Wanda. 

"This is a graduation party," Wanda responded with a touch of sadness in her voice. The idea of having a graduation party--of graduating from school at all--had been a dream of hers since she was little. It was just another thing ripped away from her when the bombs started falling on Sokovia. 

"Where's Peter?" Strange asked, narrowly avoiding a group of giggling girls pushing past him with sodas in hand. Wanda began to walk deeper into the apartment, eyes open for Peter. She walked forward towards what looked like the living room. The couches and chairs were pushed towards the walls, leaving an open space in the middle for talking and socializing. Wanda stood on her tip-toes and scanned the room, Strange searching for the boy as well. Loki snagged an unguarded plate of cake from the table behind them. 

"Don't mind if I do," he said to himself, conjuring himself a fork to eat with. His eyes lazily slid across the crowded room before landing on a group of adults gathered in one corner all laughing and taking pictures with a teenage boy in a blue gown and cap. "Is that him?" Loki asked, mouth full of dessert. He pointed his fork at the boy. 

"It sure is. Good job, Loki," Strange said, striding off towards Peter. 

"Yeah, good job Loki," Wanda said with a roll of her eyes, snatching the cake from the man and putting it back on the table. She glared at him before following Strange. Loki rolled his eyes and wiped the crumbs from his mouth before heading off as well. 

"Peter, just one more picture," one of the women exclaimed, pushing her long hair over her shoulder and holding up a polaroid camera. 

"Aunt May, c'mon. You've taken hundreds!" Peter groaned playfully before squeezing in between the man and woman on either side of him. 

"He's right, May. You've used about a hundred dollars worth of film by now," laughed the man next to her, putting an arm around her waist and kissing her on the cheek. The woman--May, presumably--ignored him and took the polaroid anyway, putting it on the table next to her to wait until the picture developed. 

"Am I not allowed to be proud of our nephew, Ben?" May said to the man in a mocking tone, kissing him on the cheek, "Look at him! He's all grown up! Where's the little guy I used to babysit while your parents traveled the world?" 

"Imagine how we feel, May," said the woman beside Peter, rubbing the boy's shoulder. "We missed half his childhood flying back and forth on mission to mission! And now my baby is going off to college in a few months?" The woman clutched the shoulder of the man on Peter's other side, faking shock, "Richard, we must be as old as dirt." 

"You look beautiful, Mom, don't worry," Peter said with a laugh, looking up at the woman. Dr. Strange cleared his throat, unsure of how to step into the conversation politely. Peter's eyes slid to the man in front of him. Neither recognition nor confusion flickered in his eyes; instead, the glazed look of happiness stayed etched onto his face. 

"Who's this? More friends from school?" Richard asked, extending his hand to Strange who shook it uncomfortably. This felt extremely believable; it could even fool him if Stephen didn't already know the truth. 

"Hey, Mom invited everyone. I just went along with it!" Peter laughed, giving them all a wave. The trio stood there awkwardly, unsure of how to begin extracting Peter from the dream.

Wanda cautiously moved closer to Peter. She moved slowly as if any sudden movements would break him. She didn't know if his mind was as strong as hers; would waking him up break him? Would he go crazy? She cleared her throat awkwardly. "So, Peter, how was senior year?" 

Strange gave her an odd look. She ignored him and continued to look at Peter earnestly. 

"It was great. Hung out with my friends a lot, had a lot of fun. Got into college and all that. Pretty normal school year if you ask me," Peter stopped and gave his Mom's hand a squeeze, "I couldn't have done it without these guys, though."

Strange cocked his head, the wheels in his head beginning to turn. "What do you mean by 'normal?'" he asked curiously. Peter shrugged. 

"I mean, it was fun. Loved it! It was just a normal school year." 

"We never had to worry with this kid," Ben interjected with a laugh, "He always did everything he was told. Never got into any trouble at all! Not one detention on his record." 

Wanda and Strange made eye contact, both on the same page. They had realized the theme of Peter's self-made utopia: normalcy. In this, he wasn't Spiderman. He wasn't superhuman. He was a regular high school kid with a regular family in a decent sized apartment. There were no extreme's in this Peter's life: he was the perfect shade of gray. He was safe. So, in order to wake Peter up, they needed to remind him of all the things that made his real life unsafe. 

Things that while they made his life unconventional, still made his life that much more interesting. 

"So, Peter," Wanda continued, chewing on her lip, "Where are you going to college?" 

Peter opened his mouth to answer, but his Dad spoke first. "Peter's going to M.I.T. in the fall," said Richard proudly. He gripped Peter's shoulder, beaming. "He's a genius, this one." 

"You must've had some good extracurriculars to get in there," Dr. Strange said, slowly commandeering the conversation in the way he needed it to go. "Did you have any internships?" 

"Yeah, I did. I interned at a tech company in Manhattan," Peter responded. 

"What was the name of your boss?" Strange pushed. 

"It was...um," Peter stopped, his brow furrowed, "Wow, I can't remember. That's weird." 

"It's the sugar-high you're on," said May with a smile. 

"Wasn't his name Tony Stark?" Wanda said gently, taking another step closer to Peter. Peter's smile faltered and for a moment Wanda thought she saw something like recognition flicker behind his eyes. As quick as it came, however, it was gone. 

"No, I don't think so. I've never heard of him," Peter said, shifting uncomfortably. 

"Are you sure? He went to MIT too," Strange said, unrelenting in his pestering. He knew that Peter and Tony shared a deep connection; he just needed to tap into that. 

"Yeah, I'm sure," Peter said, a tone of annoyance in his voice. "Are you sure you guys went to my school?" 

Loki pulled Wanda aside for a moment. "Do you think if he saw Stark he would remember him?" he whispered to her. Wanda thought for a second.

"I don't know if it would help him, but I also don't know if it would hurt him. He's just a kid and I don't want to traumatize him," she said quickly, sensing that Loki was up to something. Loki looked at her seriously. 

"Do you trust me, Wanda?" 

The question took Wanda off guard. She scanned his face, unsure of what he was about to do. Could she trust him? He had done awful, terrible things. But then again, so had she. So, very slowly, Wanda nodded. "I trust you," she said slowly, "but if you do anything to hurt that could hurt this boy, I will hurt you back." Loki nodded and took a step back into the crowd. He closed his eyes and snapped his fingers. Slowly, a white light covered his body starting at his head and moving all the way down to his toes. When the light subsided, Loki wasn't standing in front of her anymore. 

Tony Stark was. 

Wanda gaped at Loki's disguise, truly at a loss for words. Loki cleared his throat and tried to channel all of Stark's mannerisms. 

"Hey, kid. Happy graduation!" Tony--or, Loki--said, walking towards Peter. Strange's head snapped toward Loki at the sound of Tony's voice. He stumbled backwards when he saw him, his mouth falling open. 

"T-tony?" Strange gasped. Wanda caught his eye and shook her head. She mouthed the word "Loki" to him silently. Catching on, Strange nodded, one hand still clutching his chest and his racing heart.

Peter on the other hand, looked like he'd seen a ghost. His face was white, his eyes were like saucers, and his chest was heaving up and down. "I don't know who you are," he nearly yelled. When "Tony" took another step forward, Peter took another step back, clutching his mother's hand. 

"C'mon, kid. You know me," the Tony-imposter said again, putting a hand out to the boy. 

"I'm going to have to ask you to leave," stated Ben, stepping in front of the boy. Even though Wanda knew that he was an illusion, she still couldn't help but feel that love this man felt for his nephew was very real. 

"Sorry, no-can-do. This kid is my prodigy; he's a smaller, less handsome, not-as-smart-but-almost-there version of me," Tony said, stepping up to Ben. He shifted his eyes past the man to connect to Peter's before continuing, "He's like a son to me." 

"I don't even know who you are! My dad is right here!" Peter yelled, breathing heavily. His mother and father had there arms around him protectively, gripping him like he might slip away at any moment. Strange knew that this was going to take a little more force than he wanted to use. He didn't want to scar the kid, but they were running on a tight schedule. So, turned around and found an empty plate sitting on one of the chairs behind him, a fork at the center of it. Not letting himself stop and think in case he talked himself out of it, Strange picked up the fork, turned back around, and whipped it towards Ben. It flew through the air with deadly precision; there was no way that Ben could stop it in time. Of course, it wouldn't kill him; it would barely leave a scratch. 

But it would force Peter into action. 

Sure enough, Peter leaped forward, hands outstretched. "Uncle Ben, look out!" he said. Then, out of pure instinct, he lifted his hands and shot two webs at the utensil, knocking it away and sending it to the opposite wall. One of the webs missed its mark, hitting Ben squarely on the chest. "What the hell?" Peter asked, looking down at his wrists. Two web blasters had appeared there seemingly out of thin air. 

Then, everything started to go to hell. 

"Holy shit," Wanda said, covering her mouth with her hands. Strange, Peter, and the Parker family looked to where she was standing in front of Ben. To their horror, the web was no longer on Ben's chest; it was replaced by a bullet hole. Blood was quickly staining his shirt, and his face was ashen. The man fell forwards, landing with a thud on the carpet. May screamed and fell to the ground. 

"Uncle Ben!" Peter screamed, falling to his knees beside his Uncle. "Oh god, what did I do?" Peter moaned,

"Strange!" Wanda yelled from across the room, "Do something!" Peter was sobbing and the "guests" in the room were screaming and Wanda suddenly felt sick to her stomach. 

"He's starting to wake up!" Strange yelled back over the chaos, "His Uncle was shot in the chest and died; this is Peter remembering that!" 

"No he _wasn't_!" Peter yelled back just as loudly, tears streaming down his face, "Mom, Dad! Do something!" He turned around to plead with them, but they weren't there. 

Two piles of smoking ash were on the ground where they stood only moments ago. Covering her mouth, Wanda felt her stomach turn. 

"What in the world?" Loki asked, still disguised as Tony. Slowly, the guests were starting to fade away. The scene was tinged with orange light filtering in from the windows. 

"They died in a plane crash, their bodies were burnt and never found!" Strange explained, gripping the table. This was chaos; this was exactly what he _didn't_ want to happen. Peter wasn't waking up peacefully; he was waking up like Wanda did, full of anger and sorrow. 

"What's happening?" Peter cried, backing up until his back hit the wall. Loki dropped to his level, looking the boy in the eye. 

"This isn't real. C'mon, kid, you have to wake up." 

"I can't, I can't! Make it stop!" Peter yelled back, covering his hands over his ears to drown out the sound of May screaming. 

"It's okay, kid. Let go. I'll be here to catch you," Loki said, trying to calm the boy down. Suddenly, Peter's head shot up. He looked Loki--or, Tony--directly in the eye. His hand shot out to grip his arm, holding it tight enough to bruise. 

"Mr. Stark?" He said, recognition fluttering in his eyes. 

"It's time to wake up, Peter. I need your help." 

Peter's eyes got wide, and he stood up quickly, knocking Loki backward. "Mr. Stark!" he yelled. In a flash, the room was filled with bright orange. Wanda, Loki, and Dr. Strange braced themselves as they were ripped out of the dream and sent stumbling back into the soul world. Peter fell to his knees in the water, grabbing at his chest and taking big, heaving breaths. Wanda put an arm out to help him up. He leaned on her as he looked around, taking everyone in. 

"What the hell was that," he gasped, his face pale. He looked over and saw Strange standing beside Loki. "Dr. Strange? What's happening?" 

Strange walked over and rubbed the boy's shoulder, urging him to calm down. He explained everything that had happened and everything that was coming. Peter closed his eyes as he listened, grateful that Wanda was holding him up. "Where's my Aunt? Is she here too?" Peter asked, his breathing going back to normal. 

"I have no idea," Strange confessed. 

"Oh god," Peter moaned, pushing off of Wanda and putting his hands on his head. He began to pace back and forth. "This can't be happening, this can't be--what the hell!" Peter jumped back when he saw Bucky and Sam standing there with T'Challa. Sam raised his eyebrows and smirked. Bucky waved awkwardly. 

"Long time no see, spider-boy," teased Sam. 

"What are you guys doing here? I'm not supposed to talk to you guys, Mr. Stark said--" Peter suddenly stopped, realizing that Tony wasn't with them. He whirled around to look back to Strange. "Where's Mr. Stark?" 

"If everything's on schedule, he's preparing to go up against Thanos out in the real world," Strange responded. 

"But if they're here," Peter said, pointing to the guardians, "And we're all here, then that means we left him alone in space!" 

"He has Nebula to keep him company!" Mantis said optimistically. 

"Nebula is not good company. She may have killed him already. It would be a very 'Nebula' thing to do," Drax countered, earning him a horrified look from Peter. 

"Okay, enough. Tony is fine," Strange said firmly. He hoped that his voice didn't reflect the anxiety he felt. What if Tony wasn't fine? What if things didn't go according to the vision he saw? What if all this was for nothing? T'Challa walked over and put a hand on a distressed Peter's shoulder. 

"Why don't you take a seat while you catch your breath?" he said, easing them down into the water below them. Peter put his head in his hands and T'Challa whispered things to him, trying to calm him down. Mantis came and sat on the other side of him. She rubbed his arm comfortingly, unsure if she should use her powers as an empath to make him feel better. Wanda stood by Loki, chewing her lip. This was not what she hoped would happen; Peter didn't deserve this. She had no idea of the trauma he had been through in his past, that he was technically an orphan as well. 

"I fear my disguise may have been to jarring," Loki whispered to Wanda, "By the way, where is Gamora?" 

Wanda scanned the group, searching for the woman. Sure enough, she was nowhere to be seen. "Has anyone seen Gamora?" 

"She went to wake up our Peter when you went to wake up yours," replied Drax, "She hasn't come out yet."

All heads turned toward the milky cloud a few feet away, wondering what was going on in Quill's head. 

\------------------

When Gamora stepped into Peter's dream, she expected to come out the other side and be on Terra, where Peter grew up. Instead, she felt the temperature decrease. When the clouds cleared, Gamora found herself standing on a grassy plain. Dark clouds circled overhead menacingly, and a cold wind sent goosebumps down her arms. She shivered and tucked them into her body. Wasn't this supposed to be a good dream? This was nothing like the beautiful place Peter loved to tell her about. 

"Peter!" she called out against the wind, "Where are you?" She couldn't see him in front of her; She only saw the plain stretching for miles with the nearly-black sky covering it. She turned in a circle, searching for Quill. Finally, she spotted him sitting a ways away from her on the grass, head hung low. She felt her heart leap and let out a breath she didn't know she was holding. She jogged towards him with tears in her eyes. 

"Peter," she breathed out once she reached him, "there you are." But Peter didn't look at her; instead, he just stared aimlessly at the ground, eyes distant. His legs stayed crossed over each other; he looked broken and young. Gamora dropped to her knees next to him, afraid to touch him. "Peter?" she whispered into the wind. 

Slowly, Peter turned to look at her. There was no recognition in his eyes, no signature smile, no sarcastic comment about some show from Terra that she didn't understand. There was only a blank stare. 

"You're not real," Peter sighed, still staring at her. Gamora's brow furrowed in confusion. 

"Yes I am, Peter. It's me," she responded, grabbing his hand and squeezing it. 

"My parent's are dead. You're dead. Leave me here to die," he said, turning his head back towards the ground. 

"Oh Peter," Gamora said, voice cracking. Tears fell from her eyes; she couldn't stand to see him like this. She cupped his face with her hands, forcing him to look at her. Pushing a lock of hair off of his forehead, Gamora pulled him closer to her. Then, she kissed him. 

At first, Peter didn't respond. Then, he was wrapping a hand around her waist and pulling her closer. A hand wrapped around Gamora's head gently, tangling fingers through her hair. And if the two of them had been paying attention, they would have noticed the dark clouds receding to show a bright orange sky. They would have noticed the myriad of colors swirling around them. When Gamora pulled back and opened her eyes, she found herself standing back in the soul stone, one arm still wrapped around Peter. His eyes were closed still, but the clouds were gone. He still had one hand wrapped around Gamora's waist. 

His eyes fluttered open. At first, the blank look of confusion was all she could see. Then, his eyes finally focused on her. 

And he smiled. 

Suddenly, Gamora was pulled into a bear hug high into the air, her feet leaving the ground. Peter walked forward, holding her to his chest and burying his face in her neck. "Gamora," he breathed out, repeating her name over and over like it was some kind of prayer. Gamora laughed and cried at the same time. 

"Hey, Peter," she whispered back as he put her down and pulled away so he could stare at her face.

"I'm sorry I didn't save you," he said to her. 

"I'm sorry I didn't tell you I loved you sooner," she responded with a smile, "because I really, _really_ do." He moved his hands to cup her face, rubbing his thumbs over his cheeks; his hands were trembling. "Why weren't you dreaming about something happy? This place is supposed to trick you, to make you think everything's okay when it's not," she continued. 

"I thought you were dead. Nebula said you were dead," Peter told her, voice cracking, "My parents are dead. Without you, there's no heaven. I couldn't even pretend you were alive. It's not the same," he stopped to place a kiss on her forehead, "Nothing would ever be the same without you."

Gamora grinned and shrugged. "Well, I kind of am dead. You are too, technically." Peter's brow furrowed in confusion as her words sunk in. Then, he heard an all-too-familiar "Quill!" from behind him. Turning around, he saw Drax running at him, arms open wide with Groot in tow. Gamora barely had time to jump out of the way before Drax picked Peter up and swirled him around like he had done to Gamora only moments before. 

"Hey guys, I missed you too," he laughed, giving both of them a hug. He counted everyone he knew standing around him: 

"So we have the guardians, wizard with a magic cape, boy with bad taste in movies...but no Stark?" 

"And no Rocket," Mantis said sadly from the other Peter's side. Quill's eyes widened as he looked around, realizing she was right. His heart sunk to his stomach. 

"Rocket's the only one left? Aw, man. The guy can get on my nerves but I wouldn't want to be the last living out of all my friends," Gamora came back over and wrapped one hand around Peter's back. He pulled her in close and kissed the top of her forehead. "Wait," he said suddenly, "Can someone explain where we are? I mean I don't really care where we are as long as I'm with her," he stopped to smile at Gamora, "But I would like to know out of curiosity." 

"I'll explain everything momentarily," Strange said with a wave of his hand, "But first--"

He was cut off by a yell from Sam, "Someone's coming!" Immediately, everyone was in battle mode. Sam, Bucky, and T'Challa had fists up, ready to fight. Wanda and Loki were already calling magic to their hands and minds. Peter Parker, although still shaky, was on his feet with webs at the ready. The Guardians stood tall as well, Peter resisting the urge to pull Gamora behind him and never let her fight again. Strange rolled his eyes and pushed through the crowd. 

"Everyone calm down. They're friendly," Strange said, walking forward to meet the person. However, the "person" turned out to be three persons: two women and one man. Everyone slowly let their guards down, backing up and losing the tension in their postures. Strange walked forward to shake each one's hand, conversing with each briefly. He turned and led them back to a confused and curious group of superheroes. One of the women and the man looked like they were much older than everyone else. The second woman, however, looked young. 

"Everyone," Strange began, introducing them to the group, "I'd like you to meet the last of the people we'll need to get out of the stone: Hank Pym, Janet Van Dyne, and Hope Van Dyne."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading! Chapters may be added more sporadically now that my school has started again. Make sure to subscribe so you always know when I've posted! As always, I love reading all the comments you leave me. Until next time!


	7. Chapter 7

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Two new characters are introduced and the final battle is ready to begin.

The Pym-Van Dyne family looked out at the crowd before them. Hank recognized a few faces--Sam and Thor's brother--but didn't recognize many others. Not pausing to gauge her surroundings, Hope walked into the crowd, pushing past everyone. "Scott?" she called, hoping that she'd get a response. 

"You work with Scott Lang, I recognize you," Sam said, walking towards Pym, "He's not here." 

"Damn it," Pym said, running a hand through his beard, "We were hoping he would have used the Quantum Realm to reach wherever we are, but once again I've overestimated his intelligence," he said, earning him a nudge in the ribs from his wife and a sharp look from Hope who had returned from her search. Sam lifted an eyebrow at Hope, smiling. 

"Hi, Sam Wilson," he introduced himself with a smile, extending her his hand. Hope looked him up and down sharply, appraising the man. 

"No," she responded curtly, staring forward again. Bucky pulled Sam back into the crowd, laughing at the man's fruitless attempted at flirting. 

"Doctor Van Dyne," Strange said, turning to the woman, "Everyone thought you were dead. The only reason I expected you was because I saw you in my vision." 

"Vision?" Hank and Hope asked simultaneously. Janet ignored them. 

"Please, call me Janet. And I wasn't dead; I was just trapped in the Quantum Realm for about thirty years," she explained. Strange's eyebrows shot up, his mouth nearly falling open. 

"You spent thirty years in the Quantum Realm? How are you still functioning?"

"Well, I didn't come out the same person I went in," Jane responded, "I developed--how should I say this--special powers? It's hard to explain. But I was fully aware when I got to this place that it was somehow connected to the Quantum Realm using some kind of time vortex, or maybe a molecular link."

"She was fully cognitive and aware when we arrived in this place. Hope and I, on the other hand, had to be woken up," Pym said to Strange. Again, Strange was impressed. 

"You can wake people up from their dreams?" He asked her. When she nodded, Strange rubbed one hand through his beard, thinking. 

"Ah, so you're a magician as well," Loki said, stepping towards them. Janet smiled and shook her head. 

"It's not magic; it's science," Hope responded for her. Janet put a hand on her daughter's shoulder. 

"Actually, it's both," she said, "I think both of them can exist together." 

"Mr. Stark used to say that science is magic," Peter said from beside Wanda. He was standing on his own now and wasn't as shaky as he was when he first got woken up, but he was still hovering close to Wanda. And, despite the history between them, he also found himself standing near Bucky when he could. Bucky felt protective of the kid in a weird way; he reminded him of pre-serum Steve. When Pym heard the name "Stark," he whipped his head towards Peter and began heading towards him. 

"Did you just say Stark?" he growled, "Is that low-life here?" 

"No, he's not," Peter answered, a touch of anger entering his voice, "and he's not a low-life!" 

"You know Tony Stark?" Strange asked confusedly. He didn't know that Pym and Stark communicated at all. 

"No, but I knew his father, and if he's anything like his father then he's arrogant and selfish," Pym said angrily. He took off his glasses and took a deep breath. "Although, I have to admit that a part of me wishes he was here. He'd be able to help us fix this," Pym admitted. 

"Yeah, you're not the only one," Peter muttered. 

"Wait, where exactly _are_ we?" Hope asked, still standing next to her mom. Strange was about to launch into the explanation he'd given countless times to the others, when he stopped abruptly. 

"All you need to know is that we're going to get out soon," Strange said. Loki groaned and threw his hands in the air in exasperation. He walked over to the sorcerer and pointed a finger at him. 

"Look, sorcerer," he spat, "You've been telling us 'soon' for too long now. How many years did you say could have passed in the real world? Anywhere from _four to eight?_ That means our friends are out there dealing with who knows what for ages, the entire time thinking that we're all _dead_!," Loki leaned in closer, fire burning in his eyes, "My patience is running thin, Strange," he growled. Wanda stepped forward as well, standing at Loki's side. 

"I agree with Loki. I want to get out of here," she said to Strange, staring him in the eye, "You told us that once we woke everyone up, all three of us could create a portal to get us out of here. You just said that those three are the last ones," she paused to point at the Pym-Van Dyne family, "so let's make the portal and leave." 

"It's not that easy," Strange growled back, not backing down. "I don't have my sling ring or my cloak yet. I need those first." 

"If those are out in the real world, how are you expecting to get them back," Loki yelled, suddenly furious at the man. 

"Um, guys?" Mantis asked meekly, staring to the side of the group. The water beside the group was rippling at one place despite no one splashing and no wind blowing. She tilted her head and narrowed her eyes, trying to make out what was happening. The three arguing mages ignored her. 

"Both of you need to calm down," Wanda yelled, getting in between the men. 

"Why are you siding with him," Strange yelled back, all the tension and anger and confusion inside him being directed at Wanda. Wanda's brow furrowed and red haze began to form around her hands. 

"I'm not on anyone's side," she retorted, red wisps whipping around both Loki and Strange, "I'm on the side of humanity, as both of you should be," 

"I am, he's not!" Loki and Strange said at the same time. The rippling water had now started to swirl, the air above it shifting and glittering. The shifting became circular in motion, yellows, greens, and blues flickering in it. Mantis' eyes grew wide again. 

"Guys!" she said louder, earning the attention of T'Challa. 

"What the...? _Guys!_ " he yelled as loud as he could. The three mages stopped arguing to look his direction, the red dissipating from Wanda's hands. The swirling colors had now formed together to make what was clearly some type of portal. Sparks crackled in and out of it, and a strange heat seemed to be flowing from it as well. 

"Eyes up, people. Be on guard," T'Challa said, crouching low. The others did the same, Hope stepping in front of her parents, fists ready. Strange, Wanda, and Loki jumped to the front of the group, Strange standing on guard between them with Wanda and Loki flanking him, magic already called to their hands. Suddenly, a sound like thunder rolled through the sky accompanied by a loud crack. A strong wind blew towards them, forcing all three of the mages to shield their eyes. The portal began to expand, the swirling growing larger and larger until two black blobs appeared in it. Then, with a rush of wind, the two blobs fell out of the portal and landed in the shallow water below. The blobs turned out to be people; one female and one male. 

The female had long blonde hair. She was wearing a blue and red body suit with a gold star centered on her chest. She landed gracefully on the ground below, barely splashing the water as her feet hit the ground. Heat seemed to be radiating from her body; she looked calm and confident. For all the grace she had, her partner had none. He landed face first in the water facing away from the group, splashing water every which way. However, he looked much more familiar than the woman. 

"That hurt like hell," the man said, brushing water off his red and black suit. Strange narrowed his eyes. 

"Wait a minute, I know that voice," Strange said, stepping forward, "Is that..?" 

He didn't get a chance to finish. When the man turned around to face the group, a blur shot through the crowd and jumped on top of him, sending the man stumbling backwards. With a touch of a button, his helmet was receding downwards so they could see his face. 

"Well I'll be damned," Hank Pym said with a grin. 

Standing in front of them was Scott Lang. The blur that ran at him and was currently holding on to him was Hope Van Dyne. 

"Hey there," Scott laughed as Hope wrapped her legs around his waist and hugged him around his neck. He held her close to him, closing his eyes and breathing hard. He suddenly found it hard to speak with the lump in his throat. Hope disengaged her legs from his and dropped down, although she refused to take her hands from around his neck. She looked him over, tears in her eyes falling down her face. 

"You're alive," she choked out. 

"Yeah, even though I kind of got sucked into that time vortex I was supposed to avoid. But, in my defense, you did kind of leave me stranded in the Quantum Realm," he responded with a grin, tucking a piece of hair behind her ear. "God, I missed you." 

Hope laughed buried her head back in his neck so he could wrap her in his arms again. The woman with him walked past the two, heading straight for Doctor Strange. Still on his guard, Dr. Strange clasped his hands together behind his back formally.

"Stephen Strange, I presume?" The woman said, sticking out her hand. Hesitantly, he shook it. Strange had a deep knowledge of nearly all superhuman threats to Earth. However, he didn't recognize the woman standing in front of him. She was definitely superhuman, that's for sure; she made it through the quantum realm and portaled into the soul world, managing to keep Lang safe as well. 

"Correct. And you are?" Strange asked, shaking her hand.

"I'm Carol Danvers, but you can call me Captain." 

Sam blew out air through his mouth sarcastically. "I only know one Captain, ma'am," he said sarcastically. Danvers slid her eyes from Strange's face to Sam's face cooly. He had trouble maintaining eye contact; there was something piercing about her gaze. 

"You mean Captain Rogers? He sends his regards, by the way." Instantly, everyone began talking at once.

"You know Steve? How is he? Is he okay?" Bucky babbled, eyes wide. 

"What about Thor? You know, the big blonde one who's a little arrogant and a lot too trusting?" Loki said, talking over the soldier. 

"What about Rocket? He is a small dirty animal with a big mouth," said Drax, pushing past them. Danvers put a hand up, silencing them all. Scott walked back over to the group, one arm attached to Hope's waist. 

"Wow, you guys have missed a lot, haven't you? I should probably fill you in," he said, "Honestly, I came a little late to the party too. I was kind of stuck in the Quantum Realm for like four years," 

"Four years?" Hank Pym exclaimed, eyes as wide as saucers, "How are you alive? How did you even get out?" 

"I was kind of sucked into one of those time vortex's Janet told me to avoid. Hi, by the way," he responded, waving to Janet, "Captain Marvel over here found me and got me out. We were spit out in the middle of New York. A lot is different now." 

"Like what?" Wanda asked, intrigued. 

"Well, for starters, Rogers is now the head of S.H.I.E.L.D," Scott said, "He took over when Nick Fury disappeared." 

"He's the one who paged me for help," Danvers added. 

"Whoa, whoa, whoa, hold up," Bucky said, putting his hands up, "Steve is the head of S.H.I.E.L.D? How did that happen?" 

Scott shrugged. "Well, the world was kind of in chaos and the intelligence community needed a leader. So, he stepped up," Scott then turned to Loki before continuing, "Oh, and your brother has kind of been working on rebuilding a new Asgard somewhere in Norway? He found most of the Asgardians Thanos didn't kill and made a home for them." 

"He got to be king after all. Typical," Loki smirked playfully, happy for his brother. 

"Oh, and Stark had a kid," Scott said passively, as if that wasn't also huge news, "Where's the spider boy?"

"I'm here, I'm here," Peter yelled, pushing through the crowd, "So Tony is okay? He's alive?" 

Scott put a hand on Peter's shoulder and looked him in the eye. "Yeah, he's okay. He never stopped trying to get you back, Peter. He even named his kid after you: Morgan Anthony Peter Stark. Him, Rocket, Nebula, and Rhodes tried for years to get to you, to make technology to get all of us back. Once Shuri started helping them, it wasn't long until they created a way to portal through time and start collecting infinity stones; they even created their own gauntlet thing. Your Aunt is great too, by the way. She wanted me to tell you that you're being homeschooled when you come back" Peter's lower lip trembled as Scott spoke. A part of his heart unclenched once he heard that the two parental figures in his life were alive and well. He also couldn't believe that he was a big brother. 

At the mention of his sister, T'Challa came forward to meet Scott. "Shuri is okay? How is Wakanda?" he said urgently, grabbing Scott by the shoulders. Scott winced at his grip. 

"Shuri's Queen of Wakanda and now the superhero of it. The Black Cat I think? I don't know what it's called," Scott said, causing T'Challa to frown, "And she's also a genius. She's helped Tony revolutionize Quantum technology. She's also led world relief efforts and stuff like that. Great kid." 

"Yeah, she is," T'Challa said to himself with a smile. He knew his country was in good hands if his sister held the throne. Scott then turned his attention to Wanda.

"And I'm supposed to tell you that Vision is alive." 

For Wanda, it was like all time stopped. She had tunnel vision; all she could see was Scott. Her ears were ringing and the blood was pounding through her head. She stumbled forwards and gripped Scott by the shoulder. 

"W-what did you say?" she gasped. 

"They fixed him--kind of. Shuri made a replacement for the stone Thanos took out of his head. But when Vision woke up and you weren't there, he asked to be put back to sleep until they could get you back," Scott told her. It felt like Wanda had been punched in the gut. On one hand, Vision was still alive. On the other, he would never wake up if she didn't get back to him. Her knees buckled slightly under the emotional weight of it all. Sensing that she was about to go down, Loki hooked an arm around her and helped her backwards, keeping her standing. Strange was too busy thinking to get emotional. 

"So, Tony tried to go back and get the infinity stones before Thanos. That's good, it means that we're still in the right timeline. Did he get any?" he asked Lang and Captain Marvel while pacing. 

"Only one: the green one. It appeared to him and the other Avengers when they went back in time to try and get the blue stone from Loki when he first attacked New York," Scott told him plainly. Strange's heart leaped when he heard Scott describe the stones. 

"The time stone," he breathed out,"it presented itself to Stark like I knew it would," 

"I thought you gave it to Thanos?" Quill asked in confusion. 

"I gave him the stone I pulled out of the future. The time stone is fluid, being able to go forwards and backwards in time. Right now, Tony and Thanos are using the same stone in two different times for two different gauntlets. Thanos' stone can't work to its fullest ability if its double is being used at the same time," Strange explained. Quill nodded along, only pretending to understand what the sorcerer is saying. Strange was too excited to care. He turned to Danvers next: "Why couldn't they collect any of the other stones?"

"Thanos caught on to what was happening quickly. I was alerted to rumblings in the universe, portals opening here and there. Thanos is searching for the Avengers as we speak, trying to stop them. He was jumping time as quickly as we were. Stark and Rogers had to call it off and regroup in Wakanda. That's where they are now. I kept feeling rumblings, though. So, I combined my powers with Shuri's genius and decided to start Quantum jumping with Lang, trying to find what was throwing off all the energy in the universe," Danvers told him, "Then we found the source of it all: you guys. The Soul Stone." 

Strange's heart jumped into his throat, his pulse racing. "This is it. This is when we get out. Thanos is coming to meet them in Wakanda," He turned to Loki and Wanda behind him with a glint in his eye. "Are you two ready to portal out of this place?" 

A chorus of "Yes!" came from the group, causing Strange to smile. The timeline was set and in motion: they were in the right outcome. Scott's eyes grew wide and he disengaged his arm from Hope to pat himself down. 

"I was told by that these belong to you, by the way. Stark gave them to me when Captain Marvel and I went in to the Quantum Realm in case we 'ran into you,'" Scott said, pulling open a pouch on his leg. Suddenly, a red blur sprang forth, rushing toward's Strange. It curled itself around the man lovingly, like a cat intertwining itself around someone's legs. Strange laughed, smoothing a hand down it. 

"It's good to see you too," he whispered to the Cloak of Levitation.

"It's the blanket of death," Drax whispered fearfully to Gamora, earning him a hearty eye-roll. 

"Don't forget this," Scott said, tossing a metal object at Strange: his sling ring. He slid the object onto his hand and cleared his throat. The cape straightened itself out, then attached itself back to Strange's shoulders. Strange stood tall, turning back to the group. With the cape and the ring, Strange looked much more like the formidable Sorcerer he used to be.

He finally felt like himself again. He popped the collar of the cloak and stood up straighter.

"Show-off," Loki muttered. Still, he couldn't help but admire the man's pizzaz. 

"Everyone group up," Strange commanded, "It's time to go home." 

\--------------------------------------------------

MEANWHILE.......

The sun beat down on the grassy plains of Wakanda, silence blanketing the country side. The city stood tall in the distance, gleaming in the midday sky. No birds were chirping, no wind was blowing. 

Steve Rogers looked out the window of the palace with a furrowed brow, Tony Stark at his right side. They stared into the distance silently, unsettlingly. 

"Something's off," Steve said, still looking ahead, "I can feel it." 

"I feel it to," Stark said quietly, heart beating hard in his chest, "He's coming." He didn't have to elaborate; they both knew that the "he" Tony was referring to was Thanos. He'd tracked their movements across the galaxy and he knew that they were collecting the stones. It was only a matter of time until they came to stop him. He hoped that Danvers and Lang had found whatever was out there that was making the intergalactic energy levels go off the charts and were heading back towards Wakanda. 

"Guys? You need to see this," Shuri said to them using her hologram, calling them down to the lab. When the men got down to where Shuri was, Bruce was already standing beside her tech, looking at a computer screen full of charts and lines. Natasha and Clint stood next to Shuri at the window. Thor and Rocket came down after Steve and Tony. 

"Something's happening," Bruce muttered to no one in particular, "Energy levels are off the charts. The barriers in the North-West quadrant are picking up extreme levels of radiation and heat in one concentrated place...," 

"...Almost like a portal," Rocket finished, running to the window. 

"He's here," Clint growled, "isn't he?" Bruce took off his glasses and looked out the window, heart racing. Tony stepped forward with him to stand with the group, watching the place where the energy was coming from. Slowly, the trees and bushes began to morph and change colors. Then, out of a black cloud, came the mad Titan himself. 

Thanos was back. 

Tony sucked in a breath, his heart stopping as he saw the Titan that took away nearly everything he loved four years ago. He wouldn't let it happen again. 

"Everyone gear up," Steve yelled, following Thor to their rooms with their gear. 

"FRIDAY, put Pepper and Mo somewhere safe, will you?" Tony said to the AI as he walked up the stairs, Shuri signaled to Okoye to ready the Dora Milaje behind him. As she was leaving, Shuri grabbed the gauntlet from the glass case it sat in in the side of the room, molded to be able to fit the hand of Tony Stark. The time stone glowed dimly in its slot. Taking a deep breath, Shuri used the bracelet on her wrist to call her Black Panther suit to herself. She gripped the gauntlet hard and ran up the stairs. 

Round Two was about to begin.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading! Make sure you let me know what you thought in the comments.


	8. Chapter 8

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's time to go home.

There was energy in the air in the Soul World. The group was buzzing with excitement and fear; they were going to see their loved ones again. 

Not only that, but they were going to have to fight Thanos again. 

"Scott and I are going to leave before you guys using the devices Shuri made for us," she told the group, showing a small circular device on her wrist. "We'll tell them what's about to happen so they don't go into shock when they see everyone." 

"No way," Hope countered, gripping Scott's hand, "I'm not leaving him again." Scott smiled and kissed her on the cheek. 

"You'll see me on the other side. I promise I won't get sucked into any vortexes again," the man quipped. Reluctantly, Hope released her hold on him and stepped back. He marched over to Danvers' side, trying to seem as official as she was. 

"Listen up people," she commanded, "When you get out of here, you can't go running to hug and kiss your friends. All the reunion stuff can come after we deal with Thanos; if you do it first, he'll be able to catch you off guard." The group nodded. She made eye contact with Strange one last time. Strange couldn't help but be in awe of the woman. She exuded power and confidence and _heat_. Being close to her was like standing next to a brush fire. He trusted that she'd be integral in the fight against Thanos on the outside. He nodded at the woman once, conveying his faith in her and his respect. With that, Danvers pushed the button on her wrist and twisted it three times, then held it out in front of her. Scott did the same. 

A beam of light shot out from each device, sending energy pulsing through the air. Sure enough, a portal appeared in front of the two of them. Scott put his helmet back on his head and Danvers' rolled her shoulders back. "See you on the outside, everyone," she called before taking a running start into the portal, Scott following closely on her heels. As quickly as they hopped in, the portal closed around them with a whoosh and disappeared, leaving everyone else jazzed up and ready to go as well. 

"Wanda, Loki, I need to talk to you," Strange said, beckoning them to come away from the group. They walked far enough away to get a sense of privacy before leaning into Strange in a sort-of huddle. Strange ran a hand through his beard, thinking hard. "We need to talk strategy," 

"I have a strategy," Wanda said plainly, "Kill Thanos." 

"It won't be that easy," Strange replied, "All three of us need to work together. Wanda, your sheer power alone with little to no training is incredible. You'll need to direct it at Thanos _without hesitation_ in order to do significant damage. Loki, you're a natural trickster. Use your chaos to our advantage. Confuse him, and don't get too cocky. I'll be there with spells and portals to back us up. We're going to need to work together." 

"I'm with you, Strange," Loki said, using the man's name instead of simply calling him 'wizard.' Loki's body was tingling with anticipation the way it used to before a big battle. His muscles were taunt and he felt ready to spring apart at any moment. "And as much as I hate to say it," he continued, "I'll let you take the lead on this." 

"Can you tell us how you saw us winning in the future you saw?" Wanda asked. 

"If I tell you, things may come apart by everyone thinking about it to hard. It has to come naturally. What I can tell you is that it's _imperative_ that we make sure he can't use the stones altogether against us. If he can only use them one at a time, he'll be easier to beat." Wanda nodded, flexing her fingers. Strange looked over their heads at the rest of the group. "Now, let's go tell them the plan." 

"Listen up, everyone," Strange called as he walked back over, "I have a plan." The group gathered around him, eager to hear what he had to say. 

"Wanda, Loki, and myself are going to create a portal that will get us out of here. It's going to drop us back in Wakanda where the rest of the team is gathered. T'Challa, you know the landscape better than anyone. What's the battlefield going to look like?" 

"If he attacks on the plains, there will be plenty of open space," T'Challa explained, "But if he attacks in the jungles, we'll have to deal with rocks, trees, and ponds. There's positives and negatives to each one. The plains would give us less cover but more space to fight. The jungle gives us more cover and better places to ambush, but also gives Thanos more ways to block us," T'Challa said, remembering how he pinned each of the Avengers down on his quest to get Vision. 

"When we get there, try and adapt to the terrain quickly. Especially you, Guardians. This is one planet you've never been on. Well, except for you, Quill," Strange said, nodding to the four Guardians. 

"I'm ready to be back," Peter said, cracking his neck. 

"This is important," Strange continued, his voice serious, "You need to listen to what Captain Danvers said. When we get there, it will be tempting to run to your friends. But we _cannot_. If we're distracted in the slightest, we give Thanos the upper-hand. And if he kills any one of us this time, there won't be a second chance. We focus on killing Thanos first, and then we can have our big happy reunion." 

Bucky gritted his teeth, feeling the ache in his bones that he often felt now before any big fight. It was a product of years of testing from HYDRA and countless battles where he had to be reconstructed both mentally and physically. "What if Thanos brings those alien things with him? Those dogs that he had the first time?" he asked Strange. 

"Outriders. They're outriders," Gamora explained. "They're not born, they're made. Genetically engineered to do the bidding of their maker. How many did Thanos bring to Terra the first time?" 

"Give or take a thousand, maybe even more," Wanda told her. 

"Then he can't have that many left. We'll be able to deal with them when they come," Gamora said, gesturing to her friends. "We've dealt with organisms like them before on other planets." 

"Which leads me to my next point," Strange said with a sigh, coming closer to Gamora. "Getting you out of the soul stone is going to be hard. Nearly impossible, even." 

"Oh no, we're not leaving without her," Peter said firmly, stepping up to Strange protectively.

Drax came to his side, crossing his arms over his chest. "If Gamora doesn't leave, neither do we," he added.

"I said nearly impossible, not completely impossible," Strange said, rolling his eyes at the men. Gamora gently pushed past her friends to stand in front of Strange. 

"He's right. I'm tied to this place and if I leave, it could crumble," Gamora explained, looking around at the orange expanse that surrounded them. 

"Not only that, but a sacrifice leaving the Soul Stone is unprecedented. The very act of leaving could kill you," Strange added. In his vision, he saw her fighting alongside them. But anything could happen; futures were subject to change at a whim. Peter looked horrified as Strange said this, the color leaving his face. 

"Wait, what? C'mon, that's not--that can't be--" he stuttered out, turning to Gamora. His eyes searched her face. "I can't lose you again," he whispered. She put her hand on his cheek and smiled. 

"We have to _try_ ," she told him sadly. "I love you no matter what happens." Peter's hands gripped her hips and he shut his eyes tight, willing himself not to cry. Strange, not one for emotional moments, turned back towards the crew. 

"Our best bet at trying to beat Thanos is by making him use the stones on us one at a time instead of altogether. This may mean ripping the stones out of the gauntlet, which I still don't fully know how we'll do," He said. 

"Psh, I know who could do it," Sam said, arms crossed over his chest with a smirk on his face, "Red could." 

"Me?" Wanda asked, eyes wide.

"Yeah you! You destroyed one infinity stone on your own. You'll be able to rip those things out of that glove without breaking a sweat," he said, smiling at her. He knew her power and her strength. Wanda smiled at her friend and nodded. 

"I'll do my best," she said. 

"Hank and Janet," Strange said, turning to the Pym-Van Dyne crew, "If Wanda gets the mind stone out, I need you to grab it and take it to the lab in the palace. I can help portal you there. You'll need to give it back to Vision, a humanoid-android who'll be in a state of hibernation in the lab somewhere," Strange told them, Wanda wincing next to him at the word "android." 

"Got it," Hope said, nodding. 

"You'll have full access to some of the finest technology around, I can assure you," T'Challa added. 

"What should I do, Dr. Strange?" Peter Parker asked, stepping forward. 

"Web him up. Make it hard for him to use the gauntlet at all," Strange said to him. Peter nodded firmly and cracked his knuckles. 

Strange surveyed the group of superheroes in front of him. They were a motley crew to say the least: a group of interstellar protectors, a formerly mind-controlled super spy, an superhuman teenage boy with spider powers, a King, a couple of scientists with a shrinking ability, a "pilot" who's aerial capabilities were unmatched, a god who's beaten death too many times to count, a girl who's life has made her grow up too soon, and himself, a true Sorcerer Supreme. If they could work together, they actually stood a chance at saving the world. Strange took a deep breath in and released it slowly. 

It was time to go home.

"Loki, Wanda, it's time," Strange said, urging the crowd to move back with a wave of his hand. "Give it everything you've got. Wanda, focus as hard as you can on Wakanda." 

Loki and Wanda nodded and gritted their teeth. Strange closed his eyes and clenched his jaw. Then, with all the strength inside of him, he began to form a portal. His hand moved slowly and began to shake; it was like he was moving through molasses. Sweat began to form on his forehead. He pushed through the pain, completing the circle. Orange lines appeared in the air and followed his movements, the beginnings of a portal forming. 

Loki felt his own magic rush through him. He aimed it squarely at the glittering orange circle, green and silver light intertwining with it. The lines moved faster and faster, and suddenly began to fill with swirling colors. Loki felt his feet begin to slide backwards as the air around him resisted his magic. Sure enough, a crack of lightning flew above them and the ground beneath them began to shake. 

"It's working!" Gamora yelled over the buzz of the magic, "the stone is getting weaker!" 

Loki pushed harder as Strange continued to move his hands in a circle, forcing the portal to spin faster and faster. "Wanda, now!" he yelled. Wanda closed her eyes and concentrated all her fear, pain, anger, and sadness into a ball inside her. Then, she pictured it flowing through her arms and down to her hands. Red exploded from her fingertips with a yell, her eyes glowing red to match. It burst like a beam into the middle of the circle. Slowly, a picture began to form in the middle of it:

Wakanda. 

T'Challa saw the city in the background, just as beautiful as ever. "That's it!" he yelled, pumping his fist in the air, "That's Wakanda!" 

The three mages really put their backs into it, putting every bit of energy they had into creating a workable portal big and strong enough to get everyone through. Finally, Strange dropped his hands to his sides with a cry, doubling over. "That's good," he called out, his voice hoarse. Loki dropped his own arms with a groan and stumbled backwards, dizziness consuming him. Wanda fell to her knees as red receded from her body, breathing hard. 

"Okay, everyone get in a line. We'll have to move fast. Wanda, Loki, Gamora and I will go last so we can hold the portal open as long as we can," Strange croaked, standing up again. Sam helped Wanda to her feet, letting her lean on him for support. 

"Are you guys strong enough to keep this open?" He asked, looking down at his friend breathing heavily in his arms. 

"I'm good, I promise," Wanda said, standing up tall. Sam pulled her in for a hug. 

"Proud of you, Red. See you on the other side." With that, he got in line at the front of the portal, Bucky falling in line behind him. One by one, they all fell into line to prepare for the trip out of the Soul Stone. 

All but Peter Quill. 

"I'm not leaving until Gamora does," Quill said with a shaky voice. 

"Peter," Gamora started softly. 

"No, Gamora, don't. I'm not leaving you," he said, cutting her off. 

"Once I leave, the stone could collapse. If you don't leave now, you'll be dropped off at Titan when everyone goes back to the places where they disappeared. You need to be with the team on Earth. That's where _I'll_ be." 

"And if you..." Peter trailed off, unable to finish. 

"If I die?" Gamora finished for him, "I won't; I promise. I'm not leaving you again." She finished her sentence in a whisper, pulling Quill in for a kiss. She pulled away all too soon and pushed him toward Mantis and Groot, who pulled him in front of them in line. 

"Go. I'll meet you out there," she said with a smile. Peter frowned and bit his lip, but fell in line all the same. 

"Going through a dimensional portal will be tough on your bodies. It'll be a bumpy ride. Hold on tight and try to stay tense," Strange called out as another crack of lightning erupted above them. He lifted his hands back up toward the portal, his cloak billowing behind him as wind began to rush out of it. Wanda and Loki lifted their hands as well, magic at their fingertips. He paused, taking a breath. 

"Now!" he yelled, pushing more magic into the portal. Not having to be told twice, Sam ran into the portal, Bucky following close on his heels. The ground beneath everyone shuddered and the portal wavered. 

"Dad, Mom, Go!" yelled Hope. Taking each other by the hand, Hank and Janet rushed through the portal, Hope keeping one hand on their backs as she followed them. 

"For Wakanda!" T'Challa yelled, sprinting towards his home. The ground shook harder, and Loki fell to his knees. He gritted his teeth and pressed his magic on. 

Drax rushed through it next with a yell, Quill following close behind him. Mantis held one of Groot's limbs in her hand and jumped in after her friends without hesitation. 

"Peter, you're next!" yelled Wanda. Peter Parker clenched his jaw and ran towards the portal. It sucked him in just like the others, his body disappearing into the whirling colors. Strange turned towards Gamora. 

"Gamora, we're going next. Once all three of us pass through, you follow right behind. I'll wait on you," he yelled. Gamora nodded, keening as the ground shook harder. The stone was protesting their leaving and trying its best to keep them here. 

"Loki, Wanda, go!" yelled Strange. With a yell, Loki pulled his hands to his side and ran towards the portal in front of them. Wanda met him at the front of it, breathing hard. 

"You ready?" he asked before jumping in. 

"Like hell I am," Wanda said with a smile. She grasped his shoulder for support as he pulled the both of them in. Strange yanked his hands down to his side, sweat dripping from his face. Gamora ran to his side, ready to go. 

He gripped her wrist tightly, spinning a charm between them that cuffed her to him. He looked her in the eye and nodded. She nodded back. 

Both of them ran towards the portal in front of them. Strange had one foot in before he felt something tug him back. Gamora yelled in pain, her wrist still stuck to his. Looking down, he saw that the water beneath them had wrapped itself around one of Gamora's legs in an attempt to keep her there. Gamora tried twisting away from it, but it wouldn't budge. The portal began to close around Strange, unable to stay open without three people helping it. 

In the soul stone, the sky was turning brown and the water was rippling. It was pulling Gamora back like a magnet; her body was pulled taunt in the air as she was pulled in two different directions. Thunder and lightning cracked everywhere and the portal shook under the weight of it all. Wind was rushing through Strange's ears, popping them and making the hairs on his arms stand tall. He pulled harder on Gamora's arm, using every bit of strength within him to get her out.

Strange's cloak unhinged itself from him and lashed out at the water wrapping itself around the woman. Gamora yelled and pulled harder toward's Strange, every inch of her being itching to get away from this place. She felt all the pain that Thanos had put her through for years and years. She remembered the torture, the anguish that had been done to her. She also remembered the torture she had put others through at Thanos' bidding. 

She would not let him win again. 

With a scream, Gamora tore her leg out of the water. A sound like an explosion echoed in the soul stone as she put two feet in the portal; it felt like the ground below them was tearing apart. The Cloak wrapped itself back around Strange's shoulders in the knick of time; Strange pulled Gamora to his side just as the portal closed around them and sent them tumbling towards Earth. 

They were going home. 

\-----------------------------------------------------------  
Meanwhile, in Wakanda....

 

Carol Danvers and Scott Lang were dropped out of their portal onto the grassy earth of the Wakandan jungle on the outskirts of the city. 

"Captain!" came a shout from the behind them. Turning around, Danvers saw Steve Rogers running towards her, the rest of the Avengers following close behind. "Where did you go? What did you find?" 

"The energy source we picked up wasn't random portaling; it was the soul world being shaken up. In other words, we found your friends, the ones who disappeared."

"Wait _what_?" Clint Barton asked in disbelief, eyes wide. "They're alive?" 

"I knew it," Tony breathed out, lightheaded all of a sudden. 

"They're coming to help, but when they do you cannot be distracted from Thanos! Save the teary reunions for after we kill this guy," Danvers commanded them, urgency thick in her voice, "Is he here now?" 

"We picked up a portal coming from this part of the woods, but now we can't find him." Shuri explained, the mask of her black panther suit receding. 

"He's hiding from us," Tony said as we scanned the jungle for heat signatures. His heart was pounding so hard that he thought it might rip out of his chest. 

"I'd never hide from you, Stark," a deep voice taunted from behind them. The group whipped around, eyes wide. A red sheen spread across the jungle, over trees and rocks until it revealed what had been there all along: 

Thanos, blackened gauntlet still on his bruised arm, the reality stone glowing bright red. 

The Titan chuckled and Thor growled low in his throat. "And I assure you, your friends are not coming back. The miracle I performed cannot be undone." 

Steve Rogers took a step forward, Natasha close at his side. Before he could launch himself at Thanos, however, the jungle floor below them began to rumble. "Shuri," Bruce yelled as he tried to steady himself, "are there fault lines near here?" 

"No, we've never had any earthquakes!" Shuri yelled back. The rumbling grew and grew until even Thanos was having trouble standing upright. Trees were shaken out of their roots and rocks were crumbling down hills. Then, the ground between the Avengers and Thanos exploded in a burst of color, wind, and light. Both parties were blown backwards, tumbling across the brush. Carol Danvers caught herself as she flew backwards, shielding her eyes from the light. When she saw what had happened, she smiled. 

Standing in the center of the blast were the Avengers that had been previously snapped from existence, Dr. Strange at the head of the group. Natasha Romanov shot off the ground as she heard a familiar voice call out from the middle of the group: 

"Where's the fight?"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The next chapter is going to be FULL of action and *may* take me a little longer to write, but I'll try to get it up around next Tuesday!


	9. Chapter 9

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The battle rages on between Thanos and the Avengers

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> SO. This chapter has been a long time coming. There was so much action involved in it that I wanted to get it *just* right and do as much justice to the characters as I could. Please don't be mad if your fave didn't get all the action; this chapter would be its own BOOK if I gave each person equal time to shine. College is hard, kids, and its taken a toll on me and my writing. I'll try and have the next chapter up soon! As always, leave a comment and say hi. I love hearing from you guys! See you next time.

The heroes previously in the Soul Stone squinted in the bright daylight, taking in the sights and sounds. Peter Parker fell to the ground, his spider senses causing his body to tingle and head to pound, sensory overload overcoming him. Mantis knelt next to him, trying to send him waves of comfort and relaxation. 

"Is everyone alright?" Dr. Strange asked, a woozy Gamora leaning on him. Quill elbowed people out of the way to get to her, heart in his throat. 

"Gamora? You okay?" he asked frantically, pulling her off of Strange. Her eyes fluttered open and shut, pupils dilating. She flexed her fingers slowly as she came too, trying to focus on Peter's face. 

"I'm okay, I'm okay," she managed to get out, slowly able to see clearly. She began taking big gulps of air, breathing in the scent of the dirt and the sweet smell of grass. She reveled in the sunlight beating down on her and the way the bugs sounding buzzing in the jungle. She knew she'd never take her life for granted ever again. She smiled up at Quill, tears beginning to form. Then, her eyes slid to the scene behind him. 

Thanos was back on his feet, gauntlet pointed at the group. 

"Everyone duck!" Loki shouted, seeing what was about to happen. He threw himself in front of the group, conjuring up a shield of magic just as a purple beam shot from Thanos' hand. He charged at the group with a yell. Thor nearly fell to his knees when he saw the silver and green magic appear in front of their group. He'd recognize it anywhere: that was Loki's magic. 

"That bastard," he laughed to himself, "Of course he isn't dead." 

"How! How is this possible!" he screamed, not slowing down. Loki winced as it became harder and harder to keep the shield up. Suddenly, a blast of heat flew by the god and knocked Thanos off balance, sending the purple beam into the sky. Carol Danvers swooped down, eyes glowing and flames licking at her hands. 

"So that's why she gave off heat; she has fire powers," Strange said to himself. He was beginning to comprehend just how powerful this woman was. Thanos was only distracted momentarily; with a growl, he lifted the gauntlet up to his face. 

"Guess I'll just have to make history repeat itself," he growled. 

Tony realized what was about to happen, eyes widening. " _No!_ " he yelled, flying at the Titan. It was too late; Thanos snapped his fingers. 

Everyone held their breath and closed their eyes, expecting the worst. Seconds ticked by; Sam Wilson stared down at his hands, waiting to see them dissipate again. Hank Pym clutched his wife's hand tight, and Bucky Barnes turned toward where he knew Steve and Natasha were, wanting to see them one last time before he was back in that hellscape. 

But nothing happened. 

Thanos' eyes grew wide as he realized that his snap did nothing. "I don't understand," he said to himself, snapping again. 

Once again, nothing. 

"The soul stone! It's allegiance isn't to Thanos anymore!" Strange yelled, seeing the bright orange of the stone turn into a dull glow, then turn black. Strange turned to Wanda, eyes wide. "Wanda, _now!_ " Channeling all her power into her hands, Wanda blasted Thanos with red magic, focusing it on wrapping around the stone like a rope. Then, with a scream, she yanked her magic back towards her. Her muscles ached and pulled, and her eyes were like shining rubies. She felt a trickle of blood run down from her nose. 

"C'mon Red!" Sam yelled at her. Wanda gritted her teeth and pulled as hard as she could. 

Then, with a pop, the soul stone fell out of it's place on the gauntlet, falling to the ground with a thud. For a moment, nobody moved. 

Then, all hell broke loose. 

"Grab the stone!" Shuri yelled, running at it with the Stark Gauntlet in hand. Carol swooped down towards it, managing to grab it just as Thanos lunged for it. With a flick of her wrist, she tossed the stone towards Shuri. Strange used his powers to guide it in the air and into one of the slots of Tony's gauntlet next to the glowing green time stone. 

He nearly fist pumped when he saw the green stone in it's place. He knew Tony could figure it out; he knew that he would realize the that Strange had pulled the time stone he gave to Thanos from the future and left Tony to get the one from the past. 

Two down, four to go.

Tony felt his heart flutter. He knew they actually stood a chance this time. 

"Hey, Cap?" he called to his friend. 

"Yeah, Stark?" Steve replied, gripping his shield. 

"How 'bout we kick some alien ass?" 

Steve grinned. "It would be my pleasure." And with that, they began to run, the others following close behind. Strange turned to the group behind him, fire in his eyes. 

"Remember the plan!" he yelled, Wanda and Loki coming to stand beside him. The revived Avengers tucked their heads and got ready to fight.

Now, Thanos wasn't just angry. He was _enraged_. He put his fingers to his mouth and let out a loud, piercing whistle. The ground began to shake behind him and the group knew what was coming. 

Outriders burst from the woods, the barrier around Wakanda not stopping them from pouring in. This time, they were bigger and nastier. Sharp teeth glittered in their mouths and their long claws kicked up dirt as they ran. They came from everywhere; they weren't just running at the Avengers. They were booking it towards the city. 

"M'Baku!" Shuri yelled into her earpiece. "Watch out!" 

"We're ready, your highness!" he called back. The Dora Milaje and the Jabari were standing in the fields, on guard as the aliens poured towards them. 

"Avengers," Steve Rogers yelled, causing everyone to look at him one last time before the fight began. He looked at them all with a glint in his eyes before finishing his sentence: "Assemble!" 

And with that, the fight was on. "Remember what I said, kids," Carol called, "Save the tears for afterwards!" She flew towards the aliens pouring in behind Thanos, knocking them back with a blast of fire. 

"I'm on the ones in the field," Rhodes said over comms, flying into the air. "Sam, you up for a little revenge? I could use another aerial view!" 

"Already on it!" Sam responded, realizing his ear piece still worked. He took off into the air, following Rhodes. 

"Banner, you ready to hulk out?" Stark said, nodding toward's the city where Sam and Rhodey were flying. Banner didn't hear him; he was already turning green, muscles rippling as he transformed. With a howl, the hulk pounded towards the Dora Milaje, ready to help them defend Wakanda. 

"I'm going to protect my city!" T'Challa yelled, following on the ground. Shuri caught him by the arm before he could go. 

"Absolutely not. You aren't leaving my sight, brother," she urged, wanting him to stay close. Shuri could hear the smile in his voice under his head piece. 

"Then let's go fight as a team, little sister." He took her by the hand and together they sprinted towards the Dora. 

"Pyms, time to go!" Strange yelled, pushing them into a portal he conjured that led to the lab. They went without protest, stepping into it immediately. Once they were out of harms way, Hope turned around quick enough to dodge an outrider coming towards her. She shrunk quickly, flying into the air. Weaving in and out of aliens, she managed to get herself next to Scott who had already called an ant to himself. Together, they began using their agility to dodge the aliens and land crucial punches, knocking them out. 

"Bucky, catch!" Natasha yelled, suddenly beside her friend. She threw an rifle towards him, narrowly dodging the claws of an outrider. He caught it and cocked it immediately, not hesitating to begin firing. Natasha was right beside him, using a ray gun Shuri had designed for her. It let out beams of energy, wounding the alien attackers. 

"Hey, why do you get the cool gun!" Bucky teased as he gunned down attackers. 

"You don't get to be picky when you've been gone for four years!" Natasha yelled back, decimating an outrider that was lunging for Strange. In her haste to protect him, she didn't notice one coming at her from her blindspot. When she finally saw it, it was too late. It jumped on top of her and knocked her down, pinning her to the dirt with it's claws. She bit back a scream as one of them scratched her bicep, cutting it deep. Steve was there quickly, using his new and improved shield to knock the alien backwards. When it skidded to a halt, Bucky picked up Natasha's discarded gun and blew it to pieces. Steve hauled Natasha up off the ground, careful to not use her injured arm. 

"You okay?" He asked urgently, searching her body for any other wounds. 

"I'm good, Steve. I promise," she said through clenched teeth. "Barnes, give me back my gun!" 

Tony flew over the scene, eyes searching for a boy in a red suit. "FRIDAY, you see him?" he asked frantically. The AI searched the ground until she located him swinging from tree to tree, Rocket holding onto his back and shooting the aliens from above. Thanos eyed the boy, aiming a purple beam at his webs. With a shout, Peter and Rocket tumbled to the ground. 

"Peter!" Tony shouted, launching himself towards him. He fired up his rockets, taking out three outriders that were on top of him. He grabbed Peter's arm and helped him up, detaching his helmet for a moment to get a good look at him. 

"You're alive," he choked out, gripping him tightly. 

"I missed you," was all Peter could reply, not trusting himself to keep from bursting into tears. Suddenly, a wall of red encased them as Wanda stopped a cluster of aliens from lunging at them. 

"Did you forget what Captain Danvers said?" she yelled, tossing the aliens into the air. Tony made fierce eye contact with Peter, not letting go of him. 

"You stay out of harms way, okay? Scream if you need me; I'll be there in half a second." 

"Ditto," Peter said, already shooting webs out of his hands and pulling himself towards Quill and Groot who were corned by some outriders. He quickly webbed them up, allowing Quill to run to Drax and help him over there. 

Loki, mind moving at a mile a minute, had conjured up three clones who were fighting beside him, trying to maneuver their way to Thanos. Thanos saw the god and narrowed his eyes. 

"I thought I told you to stay dead," he growled, aiming a blast of purple at the man. Loki braced for impact only to here a clap of thunder land in front of him. Thor shot a bolt of lightning at the Titan and threw him back into the jungle, keeping him away from Loki. 

"Just so you know, you're not the worst brother ever," Thor said, turning towards him. Loki smiled back and simply nodded. He quickly turned towards Wanda and Strange, fighting back to back against some aliens. Loki joined in, casting shields and sending beams of magic into clusters of outriders. 

"What's the plan, Strange?" he managed to get out as he blocked an outrider from ripping into Wanda. 

"We have to force Thanos to use the stones one at a time; he's easier to beat that way. Wanda, you think you can rip out the time stone? It's the next weakest one!" 

"If you get me close enough, I can do it!" she responded. Strange quickly conjured a portal below her, sending her threw the jungle and landing her behind Thanos. Heart-pounding, she crept behind him, trying to get an angle where she could dispose of the stone. Clint, shooting down aliens one by one from the trees, saw her. 

"Hey, ugly!" he yelled at Thanos, trying to distract him from seeing Wanda, "Wanna piece of this?" He unsheathed three arrows with grenades at the end, launching them at the Titan. Thanos easily portaled them out of the way with a snarl. They distraction, however, gave Wanda the time she needed to wrap her magic around the gauntlet. From out of nowhere, Peter Parker swung in and webbed up Thanos' other hand, preventing him from swinging around and decking the witch. With all her might, Wanda once again pulled at the infinity stone. This time, the stone gave way easily, coming out with a pop. Instead of falling to the ground, it disintegrated before her eyes. 

The stone in the Stark gauntlet began to glow even brighter. 

"That's another stone down!" she said into her ear piece. She turned around to run back to the group when a large hand wrapped around her back and hauled her backwards. Thanos' picked her up and turned her so she was looking at him, squeezing her neck tighter. 

"Under my tutelage, you could be a fearsome warrior," he said softly, nearly taunting her. Wanda struggled to breathe under his grasp, clawing helplessly at his hands. Thanos merely grinned in response to her struggle. "What a shame that I have to kill you," he growled. 

"Not so fast, _father_ " a voice called from behind him as Wanda began to see spots behind her eyes. Thanos turned to see Nebula staring him down, twin daggers in hand. Before he could blink, they were flying through the air. One sunk deep into his arm, the other lodged itself in the back of his hand. With a howl, Thanos threw Wanda away from him, all attention now on the android in front of him. Loki was already rushing to help when he saw Wanda go flying through the air, nearly unconscious. 

"Wanda!" he yelled. He quickly pivoted and leapt of a boulder near him, launching himself towards Wanda. He caught her midair, the two of them skidding to a stop in the mud. Wanda coughed and heaved, forcing air into her lungs. Loki hissed in pain as he rolled off of her, wrist aching. "You okay?" 

"I'm good, I think," Wanda responded. She put a hand out and gripped his arm. "Thank you, Loki." 

"Save the thanking for later. We've got a job to do," he said through clenched teeth, pulling her off of the ground carefully. 

"Guys, Clint and I got most of the outriders over here out of the way thanks to Shuri's tech," Natasha reported, looking down from the branch where she and Barton had perched themselves. 

"M'Baku and the Dora have control of the Outriders at the city. We're coming back to help you," Shuri responded over comms, "Hey, Stark? Wanna try out some of that new technology we've been working on?" 

All the Avenger's could hear the smile in Tony's voice as he spoke: "I was just thinking the same thing." He flew above the group, getting a birds eye view of Nebula dodging and weaving around Thanos, Groot following close behind. "Listen up, team. Peter, Sam, Rhodes: you guys keep him distracted from the sky. Clint, Natasha, Gamora: you guys are the assassins. Work some fancy tricks on him; tangle him up. Quill, you and your people do what you do best: make him angry. Strange, Loki, and Maximoff: you all take care of getting those stones out of his gauntlet. The rest of us need to focus on weighing him down and trying to get that damn gauntlet off his hand!" 

"You heard the man, let's move!" Steve yelled. Natasha and Clint perched themselves in two trees, waiting for the right time to strike. Thanos, still occupied by Nebula, didn't see the others closing in. He was off his game; he wasn't the same powerful being that he was last time. Life seemed to have taken a toll on him, and he was weaker. 

"Nat, now!" Tony yelled, lifting his hand towards her. With the grace of a ballerina, Natasha leapt from the tree as Stark shot out two burst of energy that settled in the air below her, giving her places to stand. She ran through the air towards Thanos, discs of energy appearing below her, specially engineered to resemble the orange footholds Strange had conjured up on Titan. With a grunt, she launched herself at Thanos. She wrapped her arms around his neck, cutting off his air and catching him off guard. Clint took the opportunity to let his arrows fly, forcing Thanos to duck and dodge. 

"Get _off!_ " the Titan roared, grabbing Natasha around one ankle and slinging her backwards. Peter caught her before she could hit the ground, slinging her back into a tree where she was safe. Thanos realized what was happening and put up his hand, ready to use the stones against them. A beam of energy from the mind stone fanned out towards the crowd, searching for minds to bend and control. 

"Not so fast," Carol said to herself, firing her own powers back at the beam. While she held off the mind stone, Quill and Drax were preparing to make a little chaos. They took some of Quill's electromagnetic stickers and threw them at Thanos. The shock caused him to drop his hand and fall to his knees. Sam and Rhodes took the opportunity to drop some bombs: they let loose what was left of their ammo right over his head. Quickly, Shuri raised her arms up and a shield of electromagnetic energy protected the group from getting caught up in the explosions. 

"Since when can your suits do that?" T'Challa yelled over the roar, marveling at the shield. 

"You were gone for four years, brother!" Shuri yelled back, "You'd be surprised at the things that I've built while you were gone!" 

While they tangled up Thanos, Thor and Banner were taking care of any lone Outriders. Thunder and lightning cracked across the plains as the two of them took out clumps of aliens. During the four years on Earth, Banner had mastered his control over the hulk: now he was fully aware of every move he made. He tossed aliens across the field and ripped them in half, cornering them to give Thor an easy target. 

"Wanda, you ready to grab another stone?" Strange yelled as he portaled Rocket in and out of the fight, shooting ammo at Thanos in quick bursts. 

"I'm ready!" she said back, focusing on the gauntlet. She knew what stone she was going for next: the mind stone. If she could get it out, Strange could get it to Hank Pym and Vision could come back to life. She tried to center her mind through all the chaos and focus on the energy signature that she knew so well. In a flash, red flew out of her hands. Scott and Hope were crawling all over Thanos, using their shrinking abilities to stay hidden out of sight as they knocked him around. The distraction gave her just the moment that she needed. With Loki casting a shield around her to prevent anything from breaking her concentration, Wanda wrapped her magic around the mind stone and pulled. 

It came out with nearly no resistance at all. 

The group seemed to watch in slow motion as the stone flew into the air, shining its light in all different directions. Thanos lunged for it, reaching high into the air. Carol Danvers, however, was quicker. She caught it in her hand with ease, admiring the stone with a smirk. .

"What?" Peter Quill exclaimed, "Since when can she hold an infinity stone and not, you know, die?" 

"There's a lot of things I can do that would surprise you, Peter," Carol called from over her shoulder as she flew towards Strange. 

"What does that _mean_? And how does she know my name?" Peter Quill yelled again, awestruck. Mantis simply shrugged and pulled him towards the fight. Wanda turned to Strange, a desperate look in her eye. He knew what she was thinking; she wanted to get that thing to Vision as soon as possible. 

"Hope, Scott," Strange yelled, not sure where the two heroes were. Suddenly, the popped up in front of him, causing him to jump. "Get this to your parents!" he yelled to Hope, encasing the mind stone in an orange protective shell to keep it from destroying her when she touched it. She barely had time to respond before Strange was pushing her and Lang into a portal and closing it. 

Thanos was well aware that he was losing now, and he was kicking it into high gear. Using the space stone, he was portaling in and out of the fight, dodging and weaving. Strange was quick too, however, opening portals left and right so the Avengers could catch him. Suddenly, Thanos stopped, settling behind the group. With a flick of his wrist, a red beam jutted across the sky. The reality stone quickly conjured up a pit of sand beneath some of the avengers, pulling them down. 

"What the heck?" Peter Parker said as he began to sink. He struggled to pull his body out of it, even with his super strength. "A little help here!" he called out. 

"On my way, Pete!" Tony nearly yelled into the comms, dive-bombing the sand pit. He reached a hand out, ready to grab the boy. As their fingertips brushed, a beam of purple knocked him out of the sky, throwing him across the ground and into the trunk of a tree. Peter wasn't the only one sinking; Drax, Loki, and Mantis were stuck as well. They all struggled against the sand. It felt like glue around them, locking their limbs together and immobilizing them. 

"Hey, alien-man!" Clint yelled from a nearby tree. Drax looked up to see him aiming an arrow at the pit, a metal cord attached that they could use to pull themselves out. Sticking one end of the cord to his tree, Clint let his arrow fly towards Drax. A lone outrider came barreling out of the woods at Thanos' command and snatched the cord between its jaws, ripping it apart like it was a piece of tissue. Steve launched his shield at it, lodging it deep in the outrider's chest.

"He can't keep this up for long, Nebula," Gamora said, grabbing her sister by the arm, "This pit isn't real; it's an illusion. If we distract him, maybe he won't be able to concentrate on keeping it up!" 

Nebula pulled out her knives once more and flexed her mechanical muscles. "Then let's go, sister," she responded. Gamora smiled with a twinkle in her eye before pivoting and sprinting towards the Titan, Nebula on her heels. Now, the sand was up to the necks of the people in the pit. Even Loki, God of Chaos, couldn't move his arms or legs enough to generate any magic. The fact that he was panicking didn't help either; he couldn't concentrate. 

"Strange!" he yelled, getting desperate for help, "Thor!" 

Thor was already on his way towards Thanos, stormbreaker in hand. He shot lightning bolt after lightning bolt at the Titan, only to have him portal himself away. 

"Mr. Stark!" Peter yelled as the sand began to creep up his chin. Tony frantically flew towards the pit, heartbeat thundering in his chest. He was nearly there, he was _so close,_

But he didn't get there in time. 

"Da-," Peter began to yell before the sand covered his mouth. 

"No!" Steve bellowed, lunging for the boy. He and Tony brushed hands as they both got there too late, Peter and the others enveloped in the quicksand. For a moment, Tony couldn't breathe. He knew the symptoms of a panic attack and he knew one was coming on now. Steve knew it too; he'd spent the last four years at Tony's side during copious amounts of panic attacks. He grabbed his friend by the shoulders, forcing him to make eye contact. 

"Tony, breathe!" he urged, "Stay focused! It's that reality stone!" 

"T-the stone," Tony stuttered from underneath the suit, his whole body buzzing as if it was electrified. He turned to Thanos with anger and hatred in his eyes, murder on his mind. As Thanos began to smirk and portal away again, Gamora dropped on him from above with Nebula hitting his legs from below. Thanos stuttered, thrown off his balance. Shuri seized the opportunity, running at him from the side opposite of Nebula. She jumped in the air and kicked him with two feet, taking him down instantly. 

"Wanda!" Shuri exclaimed. Wanda already knew what to do, and she was already charged up. Red zoomed out of her hands and wrapped around the infinity gauntlet once again, Thanos still disoriented and reeling. Gamora was struggling to hang onto his shoulders as he shook and tried to get her off. She gritted her teeth and gripped her knife hard in her hand, and when opportunity struck, so did she. She brought the dagger into Thanos' right eye, partly blinding him. 

At the same time, Wanda was able to yank the stone out of the gauntlet, Carol Danvers right there to grab it in her hand and put it in the new gauntlet. As the stone came out, the illusion of the sand pit dissipated. Drax, Loki, Manits, and Peter appeared on the grassy dirt, gasping for air. Tony grabbed Peter and pulled him towards himself, completely ignoring what Captain Danvers had said before the battle. He couldn't wait until this was over and possibly one of them was dead (for real this time); he needed to get to Peter _now_.

He pulled Peter into a tight hug, gripping him as if he was going to turn to dust once more. Peter gulped air into his lungs and clutched Tony right back, the fear of suffocating slowly going away. "I've got you, Pete," Tony choked out, his helmet receding, "I've got you, son." Peter, concentrating on breathing, could only nod and squeeze Tony harder. 

In the moments when Thanos was still reeling, trying to stop the blood gushing from his eye, Bucky jogged over to Steve. "How many are left?" he asked urgently. 

"Two: the power stone and the space stone," Steve replied, wiping the sweat from his brow, "the fight isn't over yet, Buck." 

Bucky simply rolled his eyes in response. "Yeah, story of my life." 

"Enough!" Thanos bellowed, blasting Gamora and Nebula away from him. He used the power stone to pick up the rocks behind the avengers, huge boulders and stones that could easily crush them. His one eye searched the crowd, daring them to move. It glided over everyone else until it stopped at Wanda. And Thanos smiled. 

Suddenly, Wanda felt her body being sucked into a portal. Before she even had time to cry out, she was dropped at Thanos' side. He wrapped one ginormous hand around her throat, the other still holding the rocks above everyone. "Enough," he stated again, this time eerily calm, "You all will stop trying to reverse the good deed I've done, the deed I paid _everything_ for," his eyes slid to Gamora's at the word everything before continuing, "And if you do not, I will crush her throat." 

"Like hell you will!" Sam yelled, starting for Wanda. Bucky grabbed his arm and pulled him back, knowing that if they tried to press Thanos he'd do it. He had no qualms with killing any of them.

Wanda saw spots around her eyes, fruitlessly kicking her legs in the air as he squeezed her throat harder. Thanos was desperate; he knew the end was near. This was his last ditch plan to remain in power. Steve Rogers stepped forward, shield in one hand. Natasha stayed at his right hand side, moving up with him. Without even speaking to each other, she knew what his plan was; she knew him like the back of her hand. Steve's eyes were hardened with years of strife and grief and his jaw was set. Still, in the little energy she had left, Wanda could see the twinkle in his eye and knew he had a plan. 

"I only have one thing to say to you," he said in a steady voice. Thanos' lip curled in a snarl. 

"And what's that soldier?" he answered. Steve pulled his arm back and launched his shield at the Titan. It shined in the light, blue and red flashing brightly. As he let it go, Natasha rushed towards Wanda, staying as low to the ground as she could. Of course, even Captain America's shield was no match for Thanos. With his free hand he caught it swiftly. He smirked, pretending to look it over. Then, making eye contact with Steve, he crushed it like it was made of plastic. 

"That was a foolish idea," he said with a chuckle. Steve simply shrugged. 

"Made you look," he growled with a smirk. Thanos' eyes grew wide, realizing that this was all a distraction. Before he could move, he was barreled into from behind, knocking him forward. In his effort to catch himself before he fell, he released Wanda. Nat was waiting for her, catching her before she could bang her head on the dirt. Wanda coughed violently as air returned to her lungs. 

"Cough it out, there you go. You're okay," Natasha said. Wanda looked up at Thanos only to see the a flash of red and yellow send him flying into the jungle. Her breath caught in her throat again and she shot upwards, eyes wide. Floating before her was Vision, skin red and gold again. His eyes were murderous as he used the stone to send beam after beam of power into the Titan, knocking him further and further back.

"Do not _touch_ her," Vision roared, floating to the ground. A sobbed was ripped from Wanda's chest as he turned around and looked at her, their eyes meeting. It was really him; her Vision. She couldn't find the right words to say, so she just reached one arm out to him, shaking. Instantly he was there, wrapping his arms around her and carrying her far from the battle where Thanos couldn't hurt her. Bruce Banner took up where Vision had left off, hurling himself at Thanos.

Unlike the first time the Hulk fought Thanos, Banner was now completely in tune with his alter ego. He didn't lose consciousness when he transformed, and he was fully aware of everything he was doing. Tony had taken to calling him "Professor Hulk" around the compound. With Thanos not even half as strong as he was before, it was much easier for the Hulk to pummel him into the dirt. He dove on top of him, pinning him face down to the ground with his knee in the center of Thanos' back. Reaching down, Hulk pulled the arm with the gauntlet on it firmly behind his back and twisted, causing Thanos to shout in pain. And then, Thor knew what he had to do. 

Loki flinched as he saw the trace amounts of electricity start to form around his brother. "I'd back up if I were you," he said to T'Challa who was standing next to him. Thor's eyes began to radiate bright light, and stormbreaker was vibrating in his hand. With a mighty shout, Thor lifted himself into the air, holding his axe high above his head. Then, using all the anger and sadness and confusion he had felt for the past four years as motivation, he shot down towards the Titan. Stormbreaker cut through the Titan's arm swiftly. 

The severed hand of Thanos skidded away, purple blood pooling around it. Immediately, Danvers dove for it and swooped it into her hands as Thanos wailed. He was pitiful now, scooting away from the avengers as Hulk let his knee off of his back. He was breathing heavily, blood loss starting to go to his head. It was then that Gamora grabbed one of the daggers from Nebula and walked forward to meet him. 

Thanos, despite his pain, managed to make eye contact as his prodigy stalked towards him. Gamora's face was relaxed and stoic; she showed no emotion, and she showed no regret. "Daughter," Thanos croaked out, "Please...," Gamora took another step forward to him and squatted down, meeting him at eye level. She cupped her hand on his cheek and for a moment, Thanos thought she was going to actually side with him. 

And then, with the same quickness that Thanos had instilled in her all those years ago, Gamora whipped her arm forwards and lodged her dagger squarely in Thanos' temple. He choked and gasped, eyes wide in disbelief. Gamora twisted it and lodged it further in, baring her teeth. The once mighty Thanos now had only one eye, one arm, and a dagger sticking out of his temple. A trickle of blood ran down the side of his mouth and onto his leather vest. 

And then he breathed his last. 

"See you in hell, _father,_ " Gamora said with a sneer, wasting no tears for the man who had stolen her life from her. 

It was all over. 

No one moved for a minute, stuck to their spots in awe and disbelief. Then, Strange spoke. 

"It's time," he said, his cape billowing behind him as he walked purposefully over to where Captain Danvers was holding the gauntlet. Loki followed closely, falling in line with the sorcerer. It didn't take much to get the other stones out since they had no master anymore. Captain Danvers popped them out of their places easily, floating them over to the Stark Gauntlet. One by one she popped them into their new places, finally finishing the set. Strange itched to get a hold of the time stone again, but knew what had to be done first. Carefully and almost fearfully, Stark made his way to the gauntlet, his iron suit receding to leave him in his civilian clothing. 

"Let's get back to the lab," Shuri said, breathing hard and clutching her brother's hand. 

When everyone got back to Shuri's lab, Vision detached himself from Wanda and laid on the table in front of the queen. Wanda knelt next to him, clutching his hand, pressing kisses to his palm. 

"It'll be alright," Vision said softly, "It won't be like last time. Tony and Queen Shuri know how to put the stone back in me, as do Doctor Pym and Doctor Van-Dyne. I'll come back to you." 

Wanda smiled and nodded, smiling. "I know you will," she whispered back. With that, she moved to the side so Shuri could lower her surgical laser over Vision's head. Vision clutched at Wanda's hand and she held steady, not letting him go. After what seemed like ages, the whir of the machine began to slow down before coming to a complete stop. Shuri stepped back and nodded at Captain Danvers. She came over and put her hand on the stone. 

"Ready, Vision?" she asked him, prepared to take it out. 

"Yes, Captain," he replied in an even voice. Carol plucked the stone out of Vision's forehead, holding it in her palm. Slowly, the color began to drain from him, the reds and golds fading into whites and greys. The hand clutching Wanda's grew cold and limp until it slipped out of her grasp. Wanda forced her breathing to be even and tried to keep the panic in her chest from bubbling out. Sam put an arm on her shoulder and rubbed it softly, letting her know that he was there for her.

"You ready, Stark? Just like we practiced," Carol said, carefully lifting up the gauntlet and matching it to Tony's hand. It slid on like a glove, fitting securely against him. 

"I'm ready," he said, closing his eyes. He focused his mind like he had practiced for four agonizing years, centering his thoughts on one goal: reversing what Thanos had done. He projected every bit of energy in his body into that thought, growing it and strengthening it. Then, he took a deep breath in. 

And he snapped his fingers. 

A bright light surrounded the laboratory and blinded everyone. For a moment, all they could see was white and all they could hear was a high pitched whine. Then, slowly, the light faded. And when it did, they were horrified at the scene in front of them. 

On the ground laid Tony Stark, eyes closed with an unmoving chest, his gauntlet-clad arm blackened and smoking.


	10. AUTHORS NOTE.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A note and an apology.

Long time no see. 

I'm here to give you all (if anyone is still here) an explanation for why I've been gone so long, and something to look forward to. 

First of all, I'm in university. And university is _hard_. This semester has really just kicked my butt; I took too many hours and too many hard classes. I couldn't find time to write anything or update any of my works in progress. I was stretched to the limit. 

Now, however, I'm on holiday. Which gives me time to write. Which means I'm ready to finish this story! 

I'm sorry I left you all on a cliff hanger! I know, I know. I'm so mean. But don't worry--I've still been planning on how I'm finishing this up. 

There's only one chapter left and it's a doozy. It's going to be super long to compensate for my absence. I'm going to attempt to give these characters the endings they deserve! If anyone of you are still here, thank you for waiting. You all are the best. The update should come within the next few days! 

Happy holidays and much love, 

TrappedOutside124.


	11. Chapter 11

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The final chapter of the story.

When everyone came to their senses, chaos erupted in the lab. People scrambled to get different things, tripping over each other and knocking things off of counters. 

Thor and Steve both lunged for Tony, ripping the gauntlet off of his burnt arm. "What happened? What's wrong?" Thor yelled, putting two fingers to Tony's neck to check for a pulse. He held his breath for a moment as he couldn't feel anything under his fingers. "Come on, Stark," Thor urged, concentrating harder. And then, he felt it. 

A soft, weak thump under his fingertips. Thor let out a shaky breath. "His heart's still beating!" 

"Oh thank god," Bruce said, clutching a hand to his beating chest. Peter Parker was being held back by Natasha, trying to stop the kid from getting himself worked up. 

"Mr. Stark! Tony! Let me go, I just wanna see him!" he said over and over, trying to slip out of Natasha's grasp. She had an iron hold on him, however, and pushed him to the corner of the lab. 

"Breathe, kid," she urged, trying to calm him down, "Everything's gonna be fine. We don't need anymore chaos in here." Her authoritative voice slowed Peter's heart rate, but it didn't stop the panic bubbling in his chest. Shuri had already called for medics and soon a crowd of Wakandan doctors were bringing a gurney into the lab. Steve picked Tony up and laid him gently on the gurney, careful not to move the smoking arm. Swiftly, they carried him out of the lab, Steve and Rhodes following close behind. 

At the same time, both Captain Danvers and Doctor Strange dived for the gauntlet as it slid across the floor. Strange was worried for Tony--he was a surgeon before he got sucked into the mystic arts, and he knew that his arm didn't look good--but his primary concern was the time stone. Danvers got to the gauntlet first, grabbing it in her hand. Strange was close behind, orange sparks already lifting the time stone out of its slot. With a satisfying pop, the stone slid back into the amulet on Strange's chest, the soft green glow reappearing. For the first time in a long time, Strange felt like himself again. He took a deep, centering breath; the time stone buzzed happily against his chest. 

Wanda pushed past him, heading straight for Carol. "The mind stone. Now," she commanded. Danvers simply walked over to Vision and, with her fingertips glowing yellow, pulled the mind stone from where it was on the gauntlet and put it back into Vision's forehead where it belongs. Red cascaded down his body, and he jolted as he woke up, eyes focusing on Wanda staring down at him. 

"What did I miss?" he asked her. Wanda knelt down, resting her chin on her hands at the edge of the table.

"Where should I start?" she sighed.

Across the palace, Pepper met the doctors in the hospital room as they wheeled Tony in, one hand covering her mouth in horror. Before anyone could follow them into the operation room, the doctors slammed the doors behind them, locking everyone out. Rhodes went to Pepper, pulling her into a hug. Steve stood in front of the doors, frozen.

"Now what?" Nebula asked, standing behind them a little ways back, scared for her friend she had grown close to in the last four years. 

Steve kept his gaze locked on the hospital doors as he spoke: "Now, we wait." So, in a rather uncomfortable fashion, everyone meandered away, ready to have proper reunions with their friends and family. Steve squared his shoulders and walked resolutely away from the hospital room and towards the center of the palace, Bucky trailing after him quickly. Natasha and Sam walked towards her room, presumably to change out of their combat uniforms. Rhodes and Bruce headed back to the lab, and the Guardians followed Rocket and Nebula outside. Clint jogged back to his room where his family had been dropped off by Wakandan officials who had picked them up at Clint's cabin after they reappeared. Soon, the only people in front of the doors were Peter Parker and Pepper. 

Peter's upper lip trembled as he stared blankly at the hospital room. He was 18 and in the back of his mind he knew that crying like a baby was supposed to embarrass him, but he didn't care. He had died, been to another dimension, revived, and then fought an alien army all in the span of what seemed to him a few days (in reality, it was four years). So, he didn't stop himself as he began to cry. Pepper, snapping out of her own horror, finally focused on the teen in front of her. 

"Oh my gosh, Peter!" she yelled, rushing over to him. She threw her arms around him and squeezed him, one hand rubbing his hair down on his head. An exhausted Peter clung back, shaking. "Oh Peter, you have no idea how happy I am to see you," she whispered, rocking him back and forth. Peter just nodded and sniffled, finding it hard to speak. Pepper pulled away a little and took his face in her hands, smiling down at him. "How about we go get you changed? There's someone I want you to meet." Peter simply nodded and let her lead him through hallways and corridors, passing door after door until they got to a big, glass one. "There's someone who I know you'll be happy to see," Pepper said, ushering him in. 

The room itself was huge, large windows framing one wall with a canopy bed pressed up against the other. Through an open door Peter could see loose gadgets and metal parts lying all over the floor. Maps and schematics were thrown over a large mahogany table across from the bed. Pacing in front of the windows was a woman, brown hair stopping short at her shoulders. She was wearing big, round glasses and chewing on one of her fingernails. Her head swung towards the door when she saw it open. It didn't take long for Peter to recognize her, even through his tears. 

" _May_ " he wailed, nearly dropping to his knees right there. May was instantly at his side, wrapping him in her arms as they both fell to the ground. May was shaking and squeezing him so tight that Peter thought his arms might break. He clutched at her right back, shaking and crying. The two of them sat there on the floor, shaking and hugging with May pulling away to look at Peter's face and smile every so often. Pepper stood by the door, smiling with tears in her eyes. Quietly, she tiptoed out of the room to give them some privacy. 

"Look at you, my handsome boy," she cried, pulling back so her eyes could scan his face. She had aged in the last four years, small wrinkles appearing around her eyes and mouth. Strands of grey hair threaded themselves throughout her head. "God, it's like you haven't aged a day!"

Peter was still taking in shaky gulps of air, tears streaming down his face. "I-I'm sorry I w-went to sp-space," he choked out. May laughed through her tears and pulled him back in, smoothing one hand down his back. 

"Yeah, you're never going to space again, young man. What do you say we get you out of that supersuit and into something more comfortable?" Peter nodded and stood up, wrapping an arm around her waist. She led the boy over to what was Tony's closet, pulling out a large t-shirt and sweatpants. "I'm sure Tony won't mind if you borrow some of his clothes." The smell of Mr. Stark wrapped around him as he peeled off his iron spider suit and pulled the clothes on: peppermint and metal and the lavender fabric softener that Pepper used on everything. 

When he stepped out of the closet where May was waiting for him, he saw Pepper was back, too. A little boy was standing at her feet, holding onto one of her legs and clutching a small toy race car in the other. Dark hair stuck up on his head, curly and unruly. Wide eyes swept lazily across the room until they landed on Peter, who was equally wide-eyed. The boy quickly buried his face in Pepper's legs, unsure of who Peter was. Noticing his movement, Pepper looked down and followed his gaze to where Peter was standing. 

"Peter!" she smiled, ushering him over with a wave of her hand, "There's someone I'd like you to meet." She bent down to the height of the little boy, moving him so that he was standing in front of her. The boy pushed his face into his mom's shoulder shyly and refused to look at Peter. Peter mimicked her movements, getting down to his level. 

"Morgan, I want you to meet someone," Pepper said to the little boy. Peter's eyes grew wide as the realization of who the kid was reached him. 

This was Tony's son. 

The boy turned his head slightly so he could see Peter out of the corner of his eye. Then, he stood on his tiptoes and whispered something into Pepper's ear. She laughed and nodded. 

"Yes, Mo, he is wearing Daddy's clothes. But I don't think he would mind. Can you tell him your name, please?" 

Morgan turned around, leaning against Pepper's chest. "My name is Morgan Stark and I am almost five years old," he said, looking at the ground. 

"Your full name, Mo." 

"Morgan Anthony Peter Stark," Morgan said. A grin broke out on Peter's face and tears pricked the corners of his eyes. He sat down on the floor, crossing his legs over one another. 

"Wanna hear something cool? My name is Peter too," he told the little boy. Morgan perked up, eyes growing wide. He looked at his mom again who smiled knowingly. 

"This is the Peter your Dad and I named you after," she said, pushing him gently towards the teenager.

"Dad said Peter was my big brother," Morgan said, looking down at his feet. He tilted his eyes upward, a question hiding behind them. "Are you my brother?" 

Tears threatened to fall down Peter's cheeks as he smiled at the Tony's son. "Yeah, kid," he said, nodding his head and swiping at his eyes, "I'm your big brother." Morgan smiled and ran forward, throwing his arms around the boys neck. Pepper laughed and stood back up. 

"He's a little affectionate, if you couldn't tell. Tony spoils him." She said with a roll of her eyes. May nodded knowingly. When Peter was little, May and Ben showered him in anything he wanted. Gifts, ice cream, toys; anything he wanted, his uncle and aunt got for him (much to the chagrin of his parents). 

"What's in your hand?" Peter asked, gesturing at the toy car. Morgan launched into an explanation only a four year old could give, talking about who drove the car and what the car was and how the car was actually a superhero car that could fly and go underwater and turn into a spaceship. Peter sat there, nodding along and throwing in a "Wow!" every so often to let Morgan know that he was paying attention. 

"Hey Mo? Do you want to show Peter you and Shuri's playroom?" Not needing to be asked twice, Morgan tugged on Peter's arm until he stood up and nearly dragged the boy out of the room and towards the playroom that Shuri had given to him after his was born. It was really just an extension of her room that she had converted to make Morgan feel more at home while Tony, Bruce, and herself were working on weapons and quantum technology. Peter and Morgan spent the rest of the day building race tracks and playing with cars, making up elaborate stories and worlds. And while Tony was always in the back of Peter's mind, hanging out with Morgan was a good way to relax and think of something else.

Meanwhile, Natasha had changed into a t-shirt and sweats and given some of Steve's clothes to Sam so he could get out of the falcon suit as well. "I can't imagine wearing that for four whole years," Natasha said playfully, sitting down in one of the couches in the corner of the room. 

"See, it was only like a few days for me," Sam joked, coming to sit across from her. The two of them fell into a comfortable silence, just looking at each other. 

"I really missed you, Sam," Natasha said finally, her voice cracking at the end as a lump formed in her throat. Sam moved to sit next to her, pulling her into a hug. The two of them were close before the snap, a product of spending 2 years on the run together. Sam would always cook for Steve and Nat and he'd always try to liven things up when things got bad. Once, in Vienna, he found an old record player abandoned on a street a few blocks from where they were staying and lugged it back. He played the record that was already in it, a bad techno album, and waltz with Natasha around the room to the bass while Steve laughed at how stupid they looked. 

"I like the red, by the way," Sam said as he pulled back, making Natasha laugh. Her hair was back to its natural color with all traces of the white blonde color gone. "Good to know I didn't miss any big changes while I was away," he said with a wink, referring to how much of a big deal Steve made when Natasha died her hair after a week of running from the government. He'd been horrified that she'd even wanted to switch from red. 

Something flashed behind Nat's eyes. Sam knew that look; there was something she wasn't telling him. "What?" he said, looking at her. Natasha stared back, her poker face unbreakable. Finally, she sighed and got up off of the couch. 

"Fine. Follow me. And _don't_ scream," she said seriously. Sam hopped up quickly and followed her to a door in the corner, intrigued. 

"What, you hiding something in your closet?" Sam joked. Natasha didn't even acknowledge him and opened the door. What Sam thought was a closet was actually a medium-sized room attached to Natasha's. The walls were a pale blue, and there were toys everywhere. In the corner was a white crib. At the sound of a door opening, whatever was in the crib made a gurgling noise. 

"Where the hell am I?" Sam said, eyes wide as he took in the room. Natasha walked over to the crib and smiled, reaching her hands in. Gently, she lifted up a sleeping infant wrapped in a blue blanket, a lick of blonde hair sticking off of the top of its head. She carefully cradled it's head in her hands, smiling down at it. Sam was taken aback; he'd never seen Natasha so comfortable with a baby before. 

"Sam, there's someone I'd like you to meet," Natasha said quietly, walking over to her friend. 

"Is this Morgan?" Sam asked, opening his arms. Natasha gently handed him the sleeping child. Sam loved kids and was completely at home holding this one. As he got the baby settled, it opened its eyes and looked at him. Wide green eyes stared into Sam's dark ones, little feet kicking gently underneath the blanket. 

"No, that's not Stark's kid," Natasha said, smiling as Sam made googly eyes at the baby in his arms, "That's mine." 

Sam froze in place, mouth dropping open. He looked at the baby, then at Natasha, then back to the baby. 

" _What?_ " he whisper yelled, stuck in a state of shock. 

"Sam, meet your god-son: James Rogers-Romanoff."

Sam gaped at Natasha and then at the little boy in his arms. He walked slowly towards the plush rocking chair in the corner and plopped down, eyes wide. "Okay, I'm gonna need some explanation here." 

Natasha pulled up a stool and sat across from him. She rubbed the back of her neck and shrugged. "Well, turns out the super serum didn't just affect his outside. It affected his insides as well, if you know what I mean." 

"Yes, Natasha, I know what you mean," said Sam with a roll of his eyes. 

"It also means that his...insides...were potent enough to counteract the sterilization I went through in the Red Room. Trust me, we weren't planning on this." Sam looked back down at the sleeping bundle, shifting him slightly in his arms. 

"I mean, I knew you and Steve had a thing," Sam said, "But I never thought you and him would ever have a _child_. Wait, are you two married?" 

Natasha laughed and nodded. "Oh c'mon, Sam. You really think Steve would get me pregnant and not marry me? This is Steve we're talking about." 

"Point taken," Sam responded. Despite having lived in the current decade for a significant amount of time, Steve was still pretty old fashioned. James started to squirm in Sam's arms, stretching out his arms and legs. "Looks like someone wants mama," he said, handing Natasha her son. 

"C'mere, kid," Natasha said, taking James and cradling him against her shoulder, patting his back. Sam blinked and let out a sigh of disbelief. He would've never predicted that Natasha would have a kid, let alone with Steve. On their two year stint as international criminals, it was obvious that Steve and Nat had feelings for each other: slight touches of an arm or a lower back here and there and knowing glances shared across countless tables and couches gave them away. Sam teased them mercilessly, taking great pride in making Steve blush whenever he asked him if Natasha was his "girlfriend" or not. 

"I'm really happy for you, Nat," Sam said, getting up and pressing a light kiss into her hair. 

"Thanks Sam," she responded with a smile. 

"Hey, if I'm his godfather does that mean I get to give him a cool nickname?" 

Natasha frowned. "Depends on the nickname." 

"How about...Jimmy-James?" 

"Absolutely not." 

Sam crossed his arms, "Aw c'mon. He looks like a Jimmy to me!"

As Sam was meeting his new god-son, Bucky was pacing back and forth in front of the office where Steve, Shuri, and T'Challa were taking phone calls from leaders all over the world. Since he was now the interim director of SHIELD (something Bucky was still trying to wrap his head around), Steve was the point man for the mass governments of the world in all things Thanos. Shuri was coordinating relief and aid while T'Challa was saying that yes, he is still alive and yes, Wakanda would be setting up a reunification program for those who had reappeared after Tony snapped them back into existence. 

"Yes, Prime Minister I do understand. His body is here. What? No, not--hold on, I've got a call from the President of South Korea," Steve was saying, running a hand over his now clean-shaven face. Bucky peered in from the cracked door, unsure of how to butt in. Everything in him wanted to give his best friend a hug; however, it looked like Steve had bigger things to worry about. 

"Hi, how can I--yes, we assume Fury is back somewhere. We're trying to locate him. Our team is--" Steve was cut off by Shuri nudging his shoulder. She was taking notes furiously on a pad, the phone tucked between her shoulder and her ear. She had glanced up for only a moment and seen Bucky standing beside the door, looking lost. She smiled to herself. Steve looked up as well, following Shuri's gaze to the door. His heart jumped into his throat when he saw who was standing there. 

"Mr. President, I'm gonna have to call you back," he said firmly, not waiting for a response. He set the phone down before taking determined strides towards the door. Bucky backed up, hands in the air. 

"Look, I get it if you don't have time for all this," he started, Steve still coming towards him, "I understand--" he was cut off by Steve wrapping him in a big hug, nearly lifting the man off of the ground. Bucky laughed and returned the hug, out of breath by how hard his friend squeezed. "It's good to see you too, kid," Bucky laughed. He inhaled the smell that was quintessentially Steve Rogers, all vanilla and soap. 

Steve put his friend down and held his shoulders firmly, smiling with tears in his eyes. "Me, you, Nat, and Sam are all gonna go to a remote beach somewhere and just relax. No aliens, no secret spy organizations, no worries." 

Bucky laughed again and nodded. "I'm there." Steve wrapped an arm around Buck's shoulders and began walking them down the hallway. "What did I miss while I was gone?" Bucky asked as they walked. 

"Well," Steve began, "I'm kind of head of SHIELD now, as you saw," he paused as they turned a corner, "And I'm clean-shaven too." 

"I like you better this way. More like the kid I remember," Bucky said, shooting Steve a grin. Steve grimaced, stopping the two of them in front of a door. He turned Bucky again so he was looking at him. 

"Bucky, you have no _idea_ how much I missed you. How much Natasha and I missed you. Every single day it was like a piece of me was gone." Steve didn't try to conceal the tears building in his eyes. "Natasha and I did everything we could to bring you back. Even Tony helped out." Bucky winced at Tony's name. To him, the wound was of Siberia was still fresh. Steve saw his reaction and quickly continued: "Tony's okay, by the way. We made up. He's cool, I promise." Steve tucked his head and took a deep breath. 

"What I'm trying to say is that I'm so, so, _so_ glad you're back. And there's one big change I haven't told you yet." Bucky raised an eyebrow, confused at the secrecy. 

"Steve, what's going on?" He asked as he was pulled through the door. Inside, he was in a bedroom. "Is this the surprise? You have a fancy bedroom?" 

Steve just chuckled and led him to a door in the corner that was already ajar. Bucky could hear soft voices coming from it. Steve tiptoed up and knocked gently on the door. 

"Hey, how is everybody?" He whispered with a smile. Bucky couldn't see what was behind the door, but he knew it was something important from Steve's demeanor. His face was lit up with happiness. 

"Come on in," he heard Nat say. So, he followed Steve into the room. He felt his heart stop when he saw the scene in front of him. 

Steve was gingerly lifting a tiny baby out of Natasha's hands, cradling the infant in his arms. Natasha was standing next to him, arms crossed over her chest and smiling. The baby cooed and stretched in Steve's arms as Steve walked over to Bucky. Unlike Sam, Bucky knew immediately. The kid had green eyes that were _identical_ to Natasha's, and the licks of blonde hair sticking up from his head made it clear who the father was. 

"Bucky," Steve said with a smile, "Meet James, your godson." 

"Oh, c'mon, you guys made him a godfather, too? What, was I not enough?" Sam lamented, throwing his hands in the air. Natasha dug her elbow into his side to shut him up before walking towards Bucky to pull him into a tight hug. 

"It's good to see you, James," she said when she pulled away. He was wide eyed and open mouthed, his gaze switching between the baby in Steve's arms, Steve's face, and Natasha. 

"But Nat," he started, stuttering on his words, "I thought the Red Room...didn't they...aren't you...?" 

"Steve's got super sperm!" Sam said from behind Natasha. Steve turned beet red, shooting Sam a look. 

"We can still revoke your right as godfather," Steve threatened. He turned to Bucky. "Want to hold him?" 

Bucky barely nodded, letting Natasha lead him to the rocking chair so he could sit down. Steve was about to hand him over when Bucky drew back suddenly, grabbing his metal arm. "Wait, my arm," he said, pulling it in close, "What if it's too hard for him? What if it hurts him?" 

Natasha grabbed a plush yellow blanket from the crib and draped it over Bucky's arm and shoulder. Once it was situated, Steve placed James into the arms of the man from which he was named. Bucky stared down at the baby in awe. He was so tiny in his arms, just a pale bundle with Steve's hair and Natasha's eyes. The baby looked up at Bucky and gurgled softly. Bucky smiled back, a lump forming in his throat. 

"Hey there, pal," he whispered, staring at him. Steve pulled Natasha into his side and kissed her on the cheek as they watched them interact. 

"If she was a girl, she would've been Margaret James," Steve said seriously. Bucky looked at him knowingly; Margaret was Peggy's real name. 

"She would've loved that, Steve." Bucky said back. 

"You know, Sam is a girl's name, too" Sam jutted in. All three of the them laughed and Steve pulled Sam into a hug as well. And in that little nursery, for the moment, all was well.

The next few days were filled with everyone calming down (as much as possible) and catching up. Once Peter was introduced to his little brother, he never let the kid out of his sight. They traveled in a caravan: Morgan would run down the hallways, laughing as Peter pretended to chase him. Or, Peter would sit on his laptop and catch up on everything he had missed while Morgan sat next to him, reading a book. May, still protective over her boy, was always in earshot, never letting Peter get too far away from her. 

Bucky and Sam were the same way. Sam joked that while the kid had Bucky's name, he got to hold the baby first which gave the pair a "unique connection" and therefore made Sam the more important Uncle. Bucky would just roll his eyes and cradle the baby tighter to his chest. He was scared at first that the kid wouldn't like the metal arm; it would be too cold, too jarring for an infant. At first, he would take off the arm whenever he had to hold the baby and use one arm instead. Bucky was more than pleasantly surprised when it turned out Baby James didn't mind it; he'd cuddle up to Bucky whether he had one arm or two. Steve and Natasha were thankful that their two friends were back and supportive of them; they were also happy to have some free childcare. Sam and Bucky never passed up an opportunity to spend time with their godson. 

Loki was having a hard time, however. He found that talking to his brother about what had happened was harder than he anticipated. For one, Thor was helping Steve take calls from different world leaders. Not only that, but apparently Thor had started "New Asgard" in some place called Norway. He was constantly calling there, talking to the Asgardians who were left to make sure everything was okay. That left Loki to pace around the castle, unsure of what to do. It didn't help that most of the other Avengers were still somewhat wary of the god. Loki wasn't surprised by this; the last encounter he had with the group was the attack on New York. Surprisingly, it was Princess Shuri who was the most accommodating. She gave him his own suite to stay in while he was here complete with Wakandan style clothes and more food and drink than he could ever eat. Part of him wished he could just hang out with Wanda until he had his mind sorted out. They had become friends somewhere along the way and he genuinely enjoyed her company. However, she was caught up with Vision every hour of the day. Strange was too busy talking to the Captain Marvel, hands clasped behind him tightly as the two of them paced through the castle. So, Loki had no choice but to talk to his brother. 

It wasn't like Loki didn't _want_ to speak to Thor. There was nothing more he wanted to do than to pull his brother into a hug and explain himself. But, if Loki was honest with himself, he was scared. 

Scared that Thor wouldn't reciprocate. After all, his last words to him before his "death" were about how awful of a brother he is. What if Thor had finally decided to stop putting up with him altogether (and Loki couldn't blame him if he did--if he were in Thor's shoes, he would have ditched himself a long time ago)? 

So, Loki took a deep breath and after two whole days of avoiding Thor, he walked into the office where his brother had been spending most of his time. Inside, he found Thor staring out one of the windows, arms crossed over his chest. Loki cleared his throat, trying to get Thor's attention. "If I may--whoa!" Loki was cut off as Thor swung around and grabbed his brother, pulling him into a hug. Immediately, Loki could tell Thor was crying. His back was shaking, and Loki's heart broke at the sight. Tears began to slip out of his eyes accidentally as well. 

"I missed you, brother. I missed you so much," Thor choked out, not letting Loki go. 

"I missed you too, Thor. I truly did." Loki responded, forcing Thor to look at him. "I'm sorry for tricking you. It was the only way the wizard said I could help you." 

"I'm not mad at you," Thor said, pulling back to grab Loki by the neck softly, "I could never be mad at you!"

"How?" Loki asked, tears filling his eyes, "how could you not be mad at me, after all I've done to you, to our family?" 

Thor grasped Loki by the shoulders tightly. "Loki, you are my _brother._ I will always love you. Always." He led Loki towards the window that he had been previously staring out of. "What does that look like to you?" 

Below the brothers was the palace garden. Pinks, purples, blues and yellows streaked across the garden, flowers of all kinds blooming. Large trees with sloping limbs provided shade over benches and relief from the sun. In the middle of the garden was a large marble fountain, sunlight dancing across the water. Simply put, it was breathtaking. Not only that, but it was familiar. 

"It looks like Mother's garden," Loki breathed out, drawn in by the beauty. In Asgard, their mother had tended to a large garden with flowers and plants from across the universe. When they were younger, Loki and Thor would run in and out of the tall grass and shrubbery and play hide-and-seek while Frigga watched from the palace balcony with a smile. Loki was always better at hiding than seeking, but Thor would inevitably find him, no matter how good of a hiding spot Loki found. 

"After we lost and everyone disappeared, I would spend hours here. For weeks all I did was sit amongst the flowers and wait." 

"For what?" Loki asked, pulling his eyes away from the greenery. 

"For you," Thor replied with a small smile, "for a sign that I still had a purpose. That sign was Valkyrie." 

Loki's eyes grew wide. "Valkyrie? Is she here?" 

"No, she's in Norway with the rest of the Asgardians she bravely led to Earth. We established a new kingdom, a place where I could be close to help Stark and Rogers with relief but far enough away to allow Asgard to rebuild in peace." Thor quickly grabbed a map from the desk in the corner and showed Loki where exactly New Asgard was. "It'll be a refuge for all peoples of the universe." 

"You'll make a great king, brother," Loki said truthfully with a smile. 

"We'll be great kings, you mean," Thor corrected. "I would be honored to have you rule beside me." 

Loki grinned from ear to ear. This was what he'd dreamed of since his childhood. Everything he ever wanted could come true. But his grin quickly faded. 

Something didn't feel right. 

Thor noticed and lifted an eyebrow in question. Loki took a deep breath and looked back out at the flowers below them. "Thor, if you had asked me that a few years ago I would've have accepted whole heartedly," Loki paused, watching Dr. Strange and Captain Marvel stroll through the garden below. "But now? I think I'm needed somewhere else." 

Thor followed his gaze to Strange. "The wizard?" he asked. 

"He's a magician too, Thor. And he's a powerful one, at that. And I think if we were to work together, we could help each other." Loki explained. He thought back to how himself, Wanda, and Strange had worked together in the soul stone. The feeling of being in a team of people with powers similar to his own wasn't just exhilarating; it was _right_. With them, he finally sensed that there was something greater for him than just being the trickster god who constantly battled for power and glory. 

Thor nodded, not speaking. Then, he raised a hand to grasp Loki's shoulder again. "I think that's a great idea, brother. As long as you spend most of your time in New Asgard, of course." Loki grinned back at his brother and nodded. 

"I wouldn't have it any other way." 

Down below the brothers, Dr. Strange and Captain Marvel were becoming acquainted, perusing the grounds together. Strange was eager to learn about this woman next to him who simply radiated power. Being next to her was like standing next to a metal pole in a lightning storm; you could feel the energy buzzing off of her. 

"So, you're not human?" he asked as they strolled. 

"Not exactly," she responded. 

"What are you exactly?" 

Captain Danvers smiled slightly. "That's hard to explain," 

"I ask because I have an ever-growing list of enhanced beings that come to Earth. Some good, some bad. And yet in all my studies, I've never encountered anyone like you," Strange said, turning towards her slightly. "You can move through the Quantum Realm. You can hold infinity stones in your hands. You're by far the most powerful person I've ever met. Moreover, I assume you're loyal to Earth." 

Captain Danvers rolled her shoulders back as she walked. "I'm not loyal to anyone. I just want to protect the universe from those who would do wrong. But I do have a special connection to this place. And I plan on staying here for a while." 

"Will you train with the Avengers?" 

"I think so. Will you?" 

Dr. Strange chuckled. "I don't think so. I have no desire to be an 'avenger.' I already have a title: Master of the Mystic Arts. And I need protect my Sanctum in New York as well as continue my studies." Strange felt a pang of homesickness as he described the Sanctum to Danvers. "In fact, I should probably be getting back to it. Who knows what Wong's done to the place in my absence." Still, the sorcerer couldn't bring himself to leave until he knew Tony was okay. The man was arrogant, prideful, and downright annoying at times, but he was also a hero through and through. And, although Strange would never admit it, he enjoyed Tony's company and wit during their time in space.

Most of the others were having fun touring the newly-resurrected friends around the castle. Shuri, when she wasn't glued next to her brother, showing him all the developments in Wakanda he had missed out on, was usually giving Peter the grand tour. Each day she showed him something new that astounded the boy. Shuri was unlike any girl Peter had ever known and they became fast friends. She even allowed him to shadow her in her lab, as long as he promised not to touch a thing. 

Most of the Guardians departed after nearly a week. Peter was ecstatic to be back on Earth and wanted to show his friends everything (mostly Missouri). Nebula, however, refused to leave until she knew Tony was okay. So, she said her temporary goodbyes yet again with her sister and promised to meet them wherever they were once she knew Tony was awake and healthy. Before they all left, Gamora made sure to thank Strange for his help. 

"I wouldn't be walking around today if it wasn't for you," she said while shaking his hand. Strange, not one for emotional goodbyes, simply nodded and smiled. 

"The pleasure was mine," he said, smiling at the woman. With that, the Guardians (minus Nebula) boarded their new-and-improved ship and took off. 

"Hey," Bucky said not half an hour later, "I think the talking raccoon took one of my guns!" 

The Pym-Van Dyne family left quickly. While Hank had Tony to thank for many things, he still was uncomfortable being in the presence of a Stark. Besides, him, his wife, and his daughter had some serious catching up to do. Scott went with them, making sure to thank his new friends before they left. T'Challa made sure that they all knew that Wakanda would always be open to them if they needed help.

Two avengers, however, were not interested in the outside world. Instead of touring the grounds or passing time in Tony's hospital room like Rhodes and Pepper, Wanda and Vision stayed locked firmly in the room given to them by T'Challa. They left for food and to check on Tony only; after that, they went back to their room, closed the blinds, and snuggled up the covers, enjoying each others company. Most of the time, they didn't even have to speak out loud. Instead, they communicated through the mindstone with Wanda leaning up against Visions chest as they watched the old black and white movies that Vision seemed to love, sharing a cup of tea. 

At night, they laid awake and stared at each other, breathing each other in. "I didn't want to live without you," Vision whispered one night, laying on his side. He tucked a piece of hair behind Wanda's ear. "I couldn't imagine a life without you by my side." 

"When I disappeared like the others, I wasn't scared," Wanda admitted. "I _wanted_ to go. I had already lost Pietro. If you were dead too," Wanda paused, taking a shaky breath, "If you were dead too, turning to dust was a relief." 

Vision pulled her in to place a kiss on her forehead, fitting his body against hers. "I'm never leaving you again," he whispered into her hair. Wanda simply smiled in response, tucking herself closer into him.

It was a week and three days later that Tony Stark finally woke up. Peter was sitting in the room Shuri had given him, Morgan in his lap. Peter had refused to go home to New York until Tony had woken up from his medically-induced coma; he wanted so bad to see Ned and MJ, but he couldn't bring himself to leave. Besides, someone needed to keep Morgan company while his dad was out of commission. Pepper welcomed his presence, allowing him to take Morgan off her hands while she sat next to Tony and held his hand, willing him to wake up for her. So, the Wakandans had given him a room of his own to stay in while they waited. 

Morgan was very, very good at building things. He was smart like his Dad with a quick-wit he inherited from Pepper. Peter would pour out Morgan's box of legos and let Morgan tell him what they were going to build that day. At first, Morgan was shy around Peter. Slowly, as they got to know each other, Morgan latched onto Peter. 

Presently, Morgan had taken to watching Peter shoot web, giggling as it stuck to the wall and pulled Peter with it. "Do it again!" the boy would squeal. Peter smiled and picked up the little boy with one arm. 

"Hold on tight!" he said to him, shooting a web across the room. Slowly, Peter let it pull the boys to the other wall, careful not to go too fast and drop the child. Morgan didn't care how fast they were going; he still screamed like a banshee every single time, his face beaming. He grabbed at Peter's shirt and Peter squeezed the kid tighter to him. 

There was a thought in the back of his mind that he might _have_ to be the best big brother ever if Tony never woke up. It was a dark, intrusive thought that only crept in at night when Peter would toss and turn in his bed. Every time it bubbled to the surface he'd push it back down, sometimes sitting straight up in bed and whispering "Stop!" to himself to make it go away. Tony was going to wake up and Peter would be able to tell him how much he missed him. He _had_ to wake up; there was no other option. 

He had to. 

Peter had pulled himself and the boy towards the big windows that stood on the opposite side of the room, the hills of Wakanda painting the skyline. "Isn't that pretty Morgan?" Peter asked the four-year-old, setting him down beside him. Morgan nodded, a small hand wrapping around Peter's. 

"Hey Mo? Peter? Can you come to the common room in the East Wing?" called Pepper over the comms unit that resided in box next to the door. 

"Hear that Morgan? Looks like your mom needs us," Peter said, picking up the kid and putting him on his back. Morgan squealed with glee again. 

"Are we gonna fly there, Pete?" he asked, kicking his legs in excitement. 

"Only if you hang on tight!" Peter said with a grin. He secured the kid snugly on his back using a little webbing, then swung them down the hall towards the open space where Pepper was that most of the Avengers hung out in during downtime (which was hard to come by these days with so much post-Thanos recovery going on). Peter swung carefully from wall to wall, Morgan squeezed his neck tightly and screaming in his ear every time they swooped up. Finally, the two of them reached the living area and swung in gracefully, Peter skidding to a stop. Pepper was sitting on a couch next to someone, her back facing the boys. 

"Hey, Pepper. We're here," Peter called, untangling Morgan from his back and putting him on the ground, "What did you--" Peter was cut off when Pepper turned around and Peter caught a glimpse of who was next to her. 

It was Tony Stark. 

Peter's mouth went dry and his heart stopped. He had had plenty of time to think about what he would say to Tony when he woke up; now, everything rushed out of his mind in an instant. Morgan didn't have that problem, recognizing his dad's face instantly. "Daddy!" he yelled, taking off towards the couch. Tony hopped up and opened his arms for the little boy, picking him up and spinning him around. 

"There's my little guy," he said, kissing the boy on the cheek and holding him close, "Did you miss me?" Morgan nodded and buried his face in his Dad's t-shirt, holding on tight. Tony smoothed his hair down with one hand and planted a kiss on the top of his head. "Me and you are gonna have ice cream for every meal for the next week to celebrate," he said playfully. Pepper rolled her eyes. 

"Okay, let's not get carried away," she laughed, reaching out and taking Morgan from Tony, who protested. "Daddy has to talk to Peter for a little bit, but then you'll be able to spend time with him, okay?" Pepper explained to the little boy, already leaving to give Peter some privacy. "Why don't you show me what lego creation you two made today?" And with that, Morgan was bounding back down the hallway, dragging Pepper along with him. 

Which left Peter and Tony alone. 

Peter swallowed and tried to force the lump forming in his throat to disappear. "Mr. Stark," he began, voice shaking, "I didn't know you were--," 

Before he could finish, Tony was in front of him in two strides, wrapping the boy in his arms. Peter thought he didn't have any tears left to cry; he was wrong. The minute he had Tony in a vice-grip he began to sob again, big choking sobs that wracked his body. Tony didn't let him go, squeezing him tighter. For a minute, the two of them just stood there, Peter crying and Tony rubbing circles into his back. 

"You have no idea how much I missed you, kid," Tony whispered into his hair, his own voice shaking, "Your death almost killed me." 

Peter only responded by crying harder. He knew he was too old to be blubbering like a baby, but he frankly didn't care. He had died and then come back to life; he deserved to act like a baby for a little while. Finding his words, Peter pulled away to look him in the eye. 

"Mr. St-Stark I am so, so s-sorry," Peter stuttered out. Tony led him to one of the couches, an arm around his shoulders. 

"Nuh-uh, Pete, don't you dare apologize," Tony said sternly, gripping his hands tightly, "You have nothing to apologize for." He looked down at his own hands, taking deep breaths. "While you were gone, I built dozens of suits, hundreds even," Tony said, eyes shining. "I built ones that were fireproof, ones that could withstand the force of a planet being thrown at it, ones that were magnetic. I built as many as I could to distract myself from the pain of losing you. And I _never_ stopped trying to get you back, you hear me? Not once."

Peter nodded, his crying subsiding. "Can I ask you a weird question?" he asked. Tony's brow furrowed.

"You can ask me anything you want for the rest of eternity," Tony said seriously.

"Okay. Well, I get it if you think this is weird, especially since you have your own kid now. Which is super cool, by the way, and he looks just like you, and--" 

"Okay, slow down and get to the point, Parker." 

Peter nodded and took a deep breath. "Can I call you Dad instead of Mr. Stark?" he blurted out, wincing at the loudness of his voice.

Tony's mouth fell open in shock, and for a second Peter thought he'd gone too far. What was he thinking? Tony had his own kid who actually had a reason to call him "dad," why would Tony let Peter do that? "You know what, forget it. That's a stupid question. I'm sorry I even--" 

All his doubts were relieved when Tony pulled the boy back into his arms, squeezing him hard.

Of course you can, kid," he said, resting his chin on the top of the boy's head, "You're my son." He paused, closing his eyes. "You're my son."

At that moment, Steve came sliding into the room, Thor, Clint, Natasha, and Bruce close behind. Steve's eyes lit up when he saw Tony. "Tony! You're awake!" Tony smiled and stood up off the couch, Peter at his side. 

"Yeah, I was waiting to make my dramatic entrance back into reality," he quipped, earning a smirk from Natasha. Rhodes barreled in after them, streaking towards his friend. "Whoa, hey there!" Tony laughed as the man pulled him into a bear hug. 

"Do _not_ do that again," he said seriously, "my heart can't take it."

"Easy, big guy. I missed you too," Morgan bounded into the room with Pepper in tow, throwing himself back at his dad. Tony carried him around on his back as he made his rounds around the room, saying hello to everyone. Sam stiffened as Tony got to him, unsure of what to do. The last time they talked, Sam was in a cell in the Raft. Tony stopped at first too, sizing Sam up. Then, he thrust a hand towards the man. "Good to see you, sparrow." 

Sam let out a breath and rolled his eyes. "Okay, I'll let you have that one. It's good to see you up, Stark." 

Tony scanned the room one more time, his eyes searching for someone in particular. "Where's Barnes?" 

From the corner of the room, Bucky pushed off the wall where he was hiding, staring at the ground. He made his way over to Tony, his heart pounding fast. Steve came up beside him, placing a hand on his back. Steve's presence gave Bucky a little more confidence; he knew his friend was there to back him up if things turned bad. Hadn't Steve said Tony had forgiven them for Siberia? Bucky spoke first: "Stark, I'm really sorry for what happened in Siberia. God, if I were you I'd never forgive me." A voice in the back of his mind told him that Bucky would never forgive himself for what happened, let alone Stark forgive him. He could see Pepper from the corner of his eye glaring at him.

Tony handed Morgan over to Clint. He began to remove his jacket he was wearing. For a split second, Bucky thought the man was gearing up for a fight and tensed up. Steve felt his muscles contract and pressed his hand into Bucky's shoulder, trying to calm him down. Once Tony had the jacket off, however, Bucky sucked in a breath. 

Tony had a metal arm. 

A metal arm that was almost the same as his own. 

While Bucky's was deep silver and gold, Tony's was red and gold with chrome detailing. Oohs and aahs echoed around the room. "Yep," Tony said with a sigh, "Looks like we're a matching set now, Barnes. Although I do have to say that my bionic arm looks much classier than yours." 

A combination of disbelief, nervousness, and relief caused Bucky to let out a laugh. "Now you really are Iron Man." Peter let out a snort, earning him a nudge from Clint and a wink from Pepper. Tony turned around in a circle one more time with his brow furrowed. 

"Anyone seen Doc?" he asked. Right on time, Strange and Captain Marvel strolled into the common area, Strange with his hands clasped behind him and Danvers with her arms at her sides. Both of them were chatting nonchalantly as they had been for the past week. Strange smiled when he saw Tony on his feet. 

"Good to see you up, Stark." 

"Thank you," Tony blurted out. Strange raised an eyebrow in confusion; he was expecting something snarky or sarcastic or at least comedic. It seemed to surprise Tony too, because he cleared his throat before starting again. "I meant to say thank you for being a top-notch magician." 

" _Ah, there it is_ ," Strange thought to himself, "Tony, we've gone over this, I'm not a--" 

"Yeah, yeah, I know. You're much cooler than the average magician like our resident Goth over there," Tony said, nodding towards a slouched over Loki leaning against the wall. He'd arrived late to the party, Wanda dragging him in and forcing him to be part of the gang. Loki threw up his hands in response and rolled his eyes. Tony ignored him and continued: "You saved us. You gave Thanos that time stone and you knew that it would all work out. You got them out of the soul stone. So thank you." 

"I only did half of the job; you all on Earth did the rest," Strange responded. He looked around at the motley crew of Avengers in front of him. "What will you do now?" 

Tony looked at Morgan, who was still attached to Tony. He rearranged the kid on his back, settling him on his hip. "Honestly? I think it's time for me to retire." 

"Retire? You don't know the meaning of the word retire!" snorted Rhodes. 

Tony rolled his eyes. "I think it's time I make good on my promise to build this lady a farmhouse in the country," he said, nodding at Pepper, "But don't worry, you all can come over anytime. And by anytime, I mean only when I say you can. And don't worry, Barton, I'll try not to show up your cabin too much when construction begins." 

"You're seriously hanging up the suit?" Clint asked. 

"Not hanging it up, per say," Tony said thoughtfully, "More like...giving my suits a well-needed break. Don't worry, I'll still be flying around the countryside. And I'll still be supplying the Avengers with a house, and gear, and all the other necessities you all wouldn't have if it wasn't for me." 

Steve took a deep breath and interjected. "I think Natasha and I are bowing out, too. We have a baby to look after and we're not going to risk getting hurt and leaving this kid alone. Especially with these two to take care of him." He jabbed a thumb at Bucky and Sam, who gave him a smug look in return. "But I talked to Fury, and I think I'm going to keep my director of S.H.I.E.L.D job. So, I'll be with you guys, but I won't be _with_ you guys." 

"Okay, show of hands: who is _not_ retiring from being an Avenger," Peter asked, throwing his own hand in the air. Rhodes, Wanda, Vision, T'Challa, Bucky, and Sam raised their hands as well. None of the original avengers raised their hands; it was the end of an era. They all had new jobs to do and it was time for them to let a new generation of heroes take over. In the back, Loki slowly lifted his hand, too.

"I'd like to join the group, if you'll have me." He said with a voice lacking his usual bravado. No one objected, so Loki took that as a yes. 

"Why are you raising your hand? You're not an Avenger," May said, grabbing Peter's hand and putting it at her nephew's side. 

"Yes I am!" he said indignantly, crossing his arms. "Tony made me one in space." May looked at Tony with wide eyes. 

"You did _what_?" she gasped. Pepper put two fingers to her forehead and shook her head. 

"I don't remember doing that," Tony said quickly, completely lying. 

"He's lying. I was there. He knighted the kid," Strange added, enjoying the sight of Stark squirming. 

"See?" Peter said. May stared him down for a moment before relenting. 

"Fine. You can be an Avenger. But you will only come here on weekends. I will not have you flying back and forth between Queens and upstate New York every day."

Strange looked at the group of superheroes in front of him. He knew their lives were irrevocably changed and intertwined. The original six Avengers who began this path a decade ago were stepping aside for a new generation of protectors. These people standing here were by far some of the bravest people in the universe. If Strange was an emotional man, he would've been choked up at the sight of it all. But Strange wasn't one for overt emotion, so he cleared his throat. "Well, if you don't mind, I'll be leaving. I have a job to do back in the city. Captain Danvers, I trust you can take care of the rest of the stones?" 

Danvers nodded. "You'll take the time stone and Vision will keep the mind stone, obviously. The soul stone seems to have disappeared back to where it came from. The reality stone, space stone, and power stone will stay under my protection. And for now, I'm going to stay on Earth." She took a look around at the familiar faces from the past few years as well as the new ones she'd only met recently. "I think my help is needed more here than anywhere else." 

Not one for pleasantries, Strange turned on his heel, his cloak billowing behind him, and heading out the door. "Strange, wait!" called Wanda, running to catch up with him. Tony and Loki were close on her heels. Strange was about to create a portal back to the Sanctum when the group reached him. With a sigh, he turned back around. Before he could protest, Tony pulled the man into a hug. Strange tensed up at first, then he relaxed slightly. Tony pulled back with tears in his eyes. 

" _Thank you_ " he whispered through the lump in his throat. Strange gave him a small smile and nodded, shaking his hand. "Just call if you need me, Tony. I'll be there." With that, Tony headed back inside. Wanda and Loki, however, stayed. 

"So you're going back to the Sanctum?" Wanda asked. 

"I am," Strange replied. "Actually, I was hoping both of you might join me there." 

"You want us to work at the Sanctum?" Loki asked, confused. 

"Not work; train. Both of you have showed exceptional magical abilities. If you came to train with me, even only twice or three times a week, you could learn to concentrate your power. I could help you." 

Loki scoffed at the man. "What could you teach me? I have nearly 1500 years of experience with magic." 

"Then maybe you could teach me something," Strange said with a huff. Loki's smile took over his face; he was satisfied as long as he had the upper hand. Of course, he'd never admit that he was hoping Strange would offer to work with him. He wouldn't give Strange the satisfaction of knowing that Loki wanted to be taught by him. 

"I'm okay with that," Wanda said, rubbing her arm in thought. "I want to live here and train with the Avengers for the most part, but I wouldn't mind going to the city to work with you both." 

Strange shook both of their hands. "It's decided then. Show up at the Sanctum on Tuesdays and Thursdays at 9:00 AM promptly. It'll be a pleasure working with you both. And thank you for your help." With that, Wanda and Loki headed back indoors, leaving Strange to himself. 

Before he stepped into the portal, he took a moment to center himself. He'd been through hell in these past couple of days--weeks? years? He was still confused about how to refer to his time in the mind stone--and his head was spinning. The time stone buzzed against his chest, reminding him of what he went through to get it back. Strange set his jaw and rolled his shoulders back. 

It was time for him to go home. 

So, with a flick of his hand, Strange cast an orange ring into the air in front of him, the image of the Sanctum sitting behind it. He confidently stepped through it, shoes landing on the creaking oak floor. The portal closed behind him as he stepped through, taking away the earthy scent of Wakanda and replacing it with the smell of old books and spice that characterized the Sanctum. "Strange, is that you?" he heard Wong call from a few floors above him. Strange smiled. 

"Yeah, it's me," he called back. Then, softer, he added: "I'm home." 

EPILOGUE

It took months for the world to rebuild. Fearing what governments would do to it, Captain Danvers took the body of Thanos' and hid it on another planet far away from Earth, revealing the exact location to no one. The once all-powerful Titan was laid to rest in a simple mound of red clay on a planet without a name; his grave was unmarked. 

Steve Rogers and Natasha moved to Washington D.C. to work with S.H.I.E.L.D., although they retained an apartment in Brooklyn to "vacation" in on days of off work. James (Little J, as Sam called the boy) grew up more and more each day. He had Steve's strong jaw and handsome face and the countenance of his mother with green eyes to match. Astonishingly, Steve began to age. Traveling in the Quantum realm must have weakened the serum in his blood. Very slowly, he began to age with the rest of the population. A few grey hairs popped up on his head, giving Natasha more ammunition to make fun of her husband for his old age. She was happy Steve was aging again; it meant he wouldn't have to deal with the trauma of staying incredibly young while Natasha aged. Bucky and Sam, although they lived at the compound, would routinely fly up to see the couple. They'd walk him around D.C., showing him monuments and giving Natasha and Steve a break from watching him. Bucky liked to take him to the official Captain America museum. Although the boy wasn't old enough to speak, Bucky acted like he could understand him.

"See those guys right there? That's me and your dad," he would whisper, holding the kid to his chest while Sam held the stroller. "We're best friends, your dad and I. Best friends since the 1930s." 

Sam and Bucky enjoyed training with the other Avengers, too. After years of being forced to fight and then spending time running from the fight, Bucky was enjoying the freedom to choose on his own whether he wanted to fight or not. Captain Marvel helped him refine his fighting style and to be stronger, smarter, and more efficient. She was a hard teacher, but she taught him well. 

Scott and Hope were invited to become official Avengers as well. Sam enjoyed messing with Scott around the compound, making fun of his superhero name ("Who the hell calls themselves Ant-man and thinks that they're scary?") while Scott routinely gave Sam a run for his money in both fighting and clowning around. Hope, of course, schooled most everyone. She and Sam, much to Scott's chagrin, became fast friends. 

Under T'Challa's reign, with Shuri at his side, Wakanda flourished. It became a force to be reckoned with in the world, gaining as much power and prestige as the United States and Europe. Their technology only grew and so did their philanthropy. In a post-Thanos world, people more than ever were scared and confused. Shuri launched a reunification program for families with loved ones who had turned to dust. She also provided the funds for aid organizations to help rebuild cities, especially ones in impoverished countries that would have trouble doing it themselves. T'Challa reclaimed his title as Black Panther and went to the compound every so often to train with the others. He was nominally an Avenger, although he much preferred the title of King. Despite their tumultuous past, he enjoyed fighting with Bucky. Both of them were fierce and gave it their all. 

The others graciously accepted the fact that Loki was an Avenger now, too. It took time, of course. Wanda dragged him to team meals and functions and forced him to train with the others on days the two of them weren't with Dr. Strange in New York or when Loki wasn't in New Asgard. Vision welcomed his new friend graciously. He enjoyed seeing Wanda laugh and have someone else her understood her magic. Previously, Natasha was her best friend. Now that she was gone, she quickly found Loki taking that role. Sam, of course, was protective over her. At first he refused to let Wanda out of his sight, especially when Loki was around. The first time Loki pinned Wanda to the mat in training, Sam came over and threw the god off of her with a glare while Vision looked on; he wasn't worried about Wanda and Loki fighting because he understood the extent of her power and strength. After lots of conversations and admonishes from Wanda, however, Sam calmed down and let them become friends. That being said, he still didn't trust the god. 

Thor spent most of his time in New Asgard, building the city into a conglomerate of cities, and then into what could be considered a small country. Loki went back to see him constantly and check on how things were doing. Bruce Banner, having his fill of violence and aliens and war, went to travel the world and help those who needed medical advice. When he was home, he was either at Tony's or with Thor in Norway. Sometimes, he came to visit Natasha and Steve in Washington whenever there was a technology problem that neither Shuri nor Tony had time to address. 

Clint and his family moved back to their cabin. Clint retired--truly and definitely, this time--making Vision and Rhodes promise not to call him if something was happening. He wanted to watch his kids grow up and grow old with this wife. In the woods, he taught his daughter (a natural archer) how to shoot arrows with deadly precision. Instead of flying to D.C. to see her, Natasha often came down to see him. Clint was nominally James' Uncle, a fact he rubbed in Bucky and Sam's face often. He would cook dinner for Natasha and his family, James settled on his shoulder while Laura and Natasha sat in the living room and caught up. Sometimes, Clint missed the action. Then his kids would laugh or his wife would kiss him on the cheek or and Clint knew he would never-- _never_ \--go back to that life again. 

Once she knew Tony was safe, Nebula caught up with the rest of the guardians. Captain Marvel had actually given them a new mission to complete. She had gotten word of a new being in the universe who, according to her sources, was powerful enough to potentially wield an infinity stone if given the opportunity. The name he was going by was "Adam Warlock" and Danvers sent Quill and his team into space to find him and size him up. If he truly was that powerful, they needed to make sure he was on their side and not a potential Thanos repeat. Danvers enjoyed training the others at the compound. One captain had replaced another; Danvers took the leadership role that Rogers left when he took the director's job. Rhodes and herself were the leaders of the Avengers now in the eyes of the rest of them and had the responsibility of both keeping them in line and keeping them sharp. 

Vision and Wanda enjoyed relative peace and quiet in the compound, with the occasional mission or two. They were always in seeing distance of the other, telepathically linking themselves despite having conversations with others. The only exception was when Wanda and Loki would head to New York to train with Dr. Strange. While she was there, Vision would meet with Rhodes to see what he could help with in an administrative sense. He was meticulously organized and efficient, something the Avengers needed. He often was the point-person for the Avengers with other important leaders. His eloquent, relaxed way of speaking made him the perfect spokesperson. 

May kept her word and let Peter come to the compound on weekends. He would come as early as possible, eager to see everyone and be a tried-and-true Avenger. Bucky and Sam liked to mess with the kid while he was there. Peter was most intrigued by Loki and liked to talk to him the most. At first, Loki thought the young man was making fun of him by trailing behind him constantly. After a while, Loki realized that Peter genuinely wanted to get to know him. So, Loki would perch himself on the counter beside Peter whenever Peter ate lunch or dinner at the compound, telling him stories of grandiose adventures from his childhood and faraway places. When Peter wasn't at the compound, he was either at Columbia University--Tony pulled some major strings to get the kid there despite not having graduated high school--or at Tony and Pepper's farmhouse in Maine. 

In that farmhouse, Tony Stark finally was given the life he deserved. It was large enough for more than three people, with plenty of extra rooms for visiting Avengers. It was roughly half an hour away from the coast and the air smelled faintly of salt, seagulls crying overhead whenever Peter came to visit. Steve Rogers often came down to see the family as well. Despite having their differences, the two men were meant to be best friends. Morgan absolutely adored the man, climbing all over him when he came to visit. He liked that Steve wouldn't talk down to him like a child, but speak to him like an adult. 

Of course, the other person Morgan adored was Peter. When Pepper would announce that Peter was coming to stay over, Morgan would wait in front of the door, sitting on the stairsteps until he heard the sound of a quinjet landing in the open field that surrounding the house. Then, Pepper would open the door and let Morgan run outside to meet his brother. Without fail, Peter would pick the boy up and swing him around in his arms. Tony worried about Peter constantly; instead of building suits for himself, he would often tinker around in the workshop he had added to the house to make new and improved gear for the boy. He still forced Peter to wear a tracker so Tony knew where he was if he ever needed help. Like a proud dad, he required Peter to send him copies of his report card from Columbia so he could stick them to the fridge for all the visitors to see. 

"Yep, my boy's at Columbia," he'd tell the cashier at the grocery store in the next town over where Pepper and himself went to shop. He told random people on the street, fisherman he met at the beach, the pilot who would drop Peter off. Pepper never told him to stop; she found his pride cute. He was giving Peter and Morgan the love and affirmation that Howard never gave him when he was a child. At night, they'd curl up in bed together, Morgan one room over, and go to sleep to the sounds of the crickets outside. Tony's nightmares were now few and far in between. When he did have the rare nightmare, he would untangle himself from Pepper and creep to Morgan's room so he could check on his son. Once he knew he was okay, Tony would crawl back into bed with Pepper.

Tony was still getting used to the whole "metal arm" thing. He had a greater appreciation for Barnes after having it. It was stronger than a normal arm, meaning Tony sometimes ended up crushing soda cans or breaking door handles when he gripped them too tight. Pepper loved the arm and didn't mind it one bit. She'd lay across her husband on the couch and pull the arm across her chest, running her fingers over the detailing and indentations and enjoying the smoothness of the metal. She bought Tony hundreds of tank-tops and t-shirts to wear around the house to force him to show off the arm instead of being embarrassed by it. In true Tony fashion, he had taken to matching his outfits to it whenever they went out to the nearest town and enjoyed the admiring stares of strangers. 

He often invited everyone to his home for dinner, especially whenever Bruce came back from whatever far-off country he had been visiting that month. Rhodes and Clint would cook for the group usually; the last time Tony invited them all over, Steve tried to make barbeque and failed hilariously. Now, they refuse to let anyone other than Rhodes and Clint touch the oven. They'd invite the kids as well, Clint's kids hanging out with Morgan and taking care of James. Tony always sent Strange an invitation, though both of them knew he wouldn't come. That didn't mean that the sorcerer didn't visit Tony and the Avengers from time to time; sometimes he'd stop by the compound to see Wanda and Loki. Other times, he would take a trip to the Stark cabin all the way in Maine just for some time off. Every time he saw Morgan, he realized how much like his father the kid was. Already, he was showing signs of above average intelligence; Tony would sit Morgan down in the workshop, give him some piece of electronics, and tell him to take it apart and put it back together again. Morgan not only did that with ease, but he was soon creating new things from the pieces of old phones, radios, and defunct iron man suits. The Cloak of Levitation liked Morgan as well; they would chase each other around the house. 

For the most part, however, the sorcerer stayed in New York. The people he visited most often were the Parkers. He'd periodically check in on May to make sure she didn't need any help and since Peter went to school in Columbia he was easy to reach. With Tony so far away now, the man made Strange promise he'd help May look after Peter in the city. So, Strange sometimes took unannounced visits to campus just to check in on the boy. Of course, Wanda and Loki did keep their word and train with Strange at the sanctum. 

In the days after Strange left the compound, he wasn't sure the two would actually show up. The air was getting colder and the days shorter; Strange couldn't go outside without gloves on. A part of him thought that Loki and Wanda would rather train in the warm Avengers facility than travel down to New York City just to work with him. So, when he woke up one Tuesday to a commotion downstairs, his first thought wasn't that they had arrived. At the sound of a loud bang and muted yelling, Strange quickly dressed and called the Cloak to himself, hurrying downstairs. Instead of intruders, he found Loki and Wanda in the lobby with an antique set of swords spread out on the ground in front of them. 

"What is wrong with you? For a god you're a real klutz" Wanda said through a clenched jaw, rushing to gently pick up the weapons. 

"You don't want me to answer that question," Loki said, kicking a few under the table. Strange cleared his throat and the two looked up to see him standing at the top of the oak staircase. "Hello, wizard." Loki said with a smile that feigned innocence. 

"I didn't think you would come," Strange said, walking down the stairs. 

"Well, we're here. And we're excited for you to teach us," Wanda said with an eager smile. She stepped on Loki's foot and he winced. 

"Yes, we are _so_ excited." Loki said with a grimace. Strange looked at the two young sorcerers in front of him. He knew they had a long way to go, but he knew how powerful they could be with the right guidance. He was especially excited to work with Wanda; Loki had a thousand years of experience with magic while Wanda was barely out of her teenage years. He clasped his hands behind him and turned to walk back up the stairs. 

"Come with me. We have a courtyard used for training in the back." He turned one more time to give both of them an appraising stare. "And Loki, I suggest you change out of your formal wear into something more appropriate." The god had shown up in his green and black battle gear that he wore whenever he sparred. Wanda was in what she usually wore to workout: leggings and a t-shirt. Loki growled at the man and clenched his fists. Wanda put a hand on his arm and gave him a look. 

"He's right, you know. You do look kind of overdressed," she teased with a smile.

Loki looked down at her and rolled his eyes. "I'll best him no matter what I'm wearing," he said pridefully. With a flick of his fingers, his suit transformed into what Sam usually wore to workout in: a t-shirt and pants. 

"Where'd you get those from?" Wanda asked him, recognizing the clothes. Loki just shrugged and bit back a smile. 

"I'm a god, remember? I can conjure these up from anywhere." In reality, he had stayed true to his chaotic nature and switched clothes with Sam, who was now standing in the compound's kitchen wearing Asgardian battle armor. 

"Are you coming or not?" Strange called from up the stairs. 

"Yeah, we are! Let's go, Loki," Wanda said, pulling the man up the stairs with her. They met Strange in the courtyard. He'd removed the Cloak of Levitation and was breathing deeply to center his mind and focus. He watched the two of them come in and stand in front of him, waiting for instruction. He smirked and rolled his shoulders back, staring at the two magicians. Then, he spoke: 

"Shall we begin?"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> First of all, thank you all for coming on this journey with me. I hope you've enjoyed it as much as I have. 
> 
> Second, thank you all for your comments and kudos. 
> 
> Finally, while this story is over, I'll continue to write different short pieces about each of the characters as separate works. If you feel like it, go check them out! 
> 
> As always, thank you for reading this work. Love you all!


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